Armstrong World Industries' board of directors has named
Matthew J. "Matt" Espe as the company's ceo and president. His
appointment will become effective in late July. Espe succeeds Michael D.
Lockhart, who stepped down in February.
Espe, 51,
brings 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, distribution and management
of global manufacturing businesses to Armstrong, with 22 of those years as
president and ceo of GE Lighting.
"Matt
brings a proven track record of placing a strong focus on customer service and
profitable growth and is ideally suited to lead Armstrong into its next phase
of growth," said James J. O'Connor, Armstrong's chairman. "Matt is an
experienced executive who knows how to run large organizations efficiently and
effectively. Throughout his career he has built businesses using systems and
efficiency improvements, such as Six Sigma, to grow revenue and improve
profitability. We are especially pleased to have Matt join Armstrong on our
150-year anniversary, a notable occasion in our company's storied
history."
Espe joins
Armstrong from Ricoh Americas Corp., a provider of document management
services, where he serves as chairman and ceo. Prior to this role, Espe was
chairman and ceo of IKON Office Solutions, a $4 billion office equipment
distributor and services provider with 24,000 employees, which was acquired by
Ricoh in 2008. During his tenure there he launched successive growth programs
to increase global accounts, shifted products to a higher-end mix to reach
higher-margin segments, and grew professional services through system and
software solutions.
Prior to
joining IKON in 2002, Espe was president and ceo of GE Lighting. In this role,
he served on the Corporate Executive Council of General Electric. In his
22-year career with GE, Espe managed multiple functional areas, including
sales, marketing, distribution and manufacturing, and across divisions,
including GE Supply, GE Plastics, and GE Lighting. He brings a global
perspective, having led businesses in Europe, Asia and North
America.
"Armstrong
is one of the most well-known and trusted brands in the industry. I'm
privileged to be joining such a talented team whose dedication has produced an
industry leader known for quality products and superior customer service. I'm
looking forward to what we can do together to build on that success," Espe
noted.
The board
of directors plans to nominate Espe to serve on Armstrong's board after his
appointment as ceo becomes effective. He is also a member of the boards of
Unisys Corp. and Graphic Packaging Holding Co. Espe is an active volunteer and
member of the board of United Way
of Southeastern Pennsylvania. He graduated
from the University of Idaho and has an MBA from Whittier College.
Espe named Armstrong president/ceo
June 25, 2010
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