Electrical People: Bricker to retire at Sonepar

Schneider Electric (Andover, MA): Emily Heitman is now vice president of the Energy business in the U.S. and Canada. In this role, Heitman has profit and loss responsibility for medium voltage switchgear and energy solutions, while also developing and executing commercial strategies that drive growth and market penetration in the U.S. and Canada.

Heitman joins Schneider Electric from the ABB Power Products Division where she was the global vice president  marketing & sales, for distribution transformers. She was responsible for managing a global marketing team across 14 factories. Heitman also held product leadership and operations management roles at Cooper Industries.

Heitman has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Auburn University in Auburn, AL, and an MBA from Marquette University in Milwaukee. She is based in Nashville.

“The growing strain on energy resources, increasing demand for smart energy use and a rapidly aging energy infrastructure are converging to fundamentally change the way in which electricity is generated, distributed and consumed,” said Juan Macias, senior vice president of the U.S. Energy Business Unit and country president for Canada. “With more than 20 years of experience, Emily will help our customers navigate this new energy landscape and realize the value of modern, safe, data-driven and holistic energy management for greater levels of understanding and control.”

Sonepar USA (Philadelphia, PA): Jay Bricker, senior vice president, vendor relations, has announced his retirement from Sonepar after 20 years of service to the organization. He began his career at Sonepar USA headquarters in 1998 shortly after the founding of the USA business. As one of the very early members of the USA organization’s management team, Bricker developed and pioneered Sonepar USA efforts in marketing, e-commerce and vendor relations. Prior to his executive post at Sonepar’s U.S. corporate office, he was vice president of operations for Cooper Electric, a Sonepar USA company.

“Jay has been part of numerous acquisitions and was instrumental in helping to build the network of Sonepar companies we have today in the USA. We thank Jay for his contributions to the success of the organization and wish him a well-deserved retirement,” Halsey Cook, president and CEO, Sonepar USA, said in a press release.

Electric Supply Center (ESC), (Burlington, MA): The company promoted three directors to vice president and added a new executive vice president to its management team. Executive vice president Doug Walo has joined to oversee a team of vice presidents, Jim Crabtree, Bob Ryan and John Murch.

Walo joins ESC with 31 years of industry experience, most recently as president of two West Coast distributors under Sonepar. Walo will oversee the new management team while focusing on managing all sales and operational activities and working to develop and implement the company’s goals and growth strategies.

Crabtree, ESC’s new vice president  of supply chain, joined the company two years ago and has been director of supply chain, implementing distribution and vendor efficiency changes, expanding the company’s delivery fleet and number of orders delivered while driving down operational cost.

Ryan joined ESC in June 2013 and will now serve as vice president of sales and marketing. During his time with ESC, he has created numerous marketing strategies and incentives, dramatically increasing his team’s work stock sales. Ryan was also instrumental in the opening of ESC’s Mansfield office and Woburn branch.

Murch brings decades of experience at ESC to his new role as vice president of projects. Murch started as a part-time employee at 16, working in the lighting showroom, and since going full-time in 1997 has ascended the ranks from counter sales to branch manager to switchgear specialist. In his most recent role as director of projects, Murch oversaw the award and execution of some of Boston’s most complex projects.

“At ESC we recognize that while everyone has trucks and stock, we have our talented team to thank for our unmatched operational capability and booming sales,” said Larry LaFreniere, president. “It gives me great pleasure to recognize Jim, Bob and John’s impact on our success, bring Doug into the fold, and ultimately entrust this team of leaders to take ESC to the next level of supreme service.”