WAYNE, PA — TekniPlex has appointed former Tenneco Chief Executive Officer Brian Kesseler as its new CEO, replacing Brenda Chamulak as the materials manufacturer seeks to accelerate growth and improve operating performance across its healthcare and consumer products businesses.
The Wayne-based company said its board appointed Kesseler last week. Chamulak has stepped down from the position.
Kesseler brings more than 30 years of experience managing global industrial operations, including senior leadership roles at automotive components manufacturer Tenneco and industrial technology company Johnson Controls.
He most recently served as Tenneco’s CEO, having previously held the position of chief operating officer. Before joining Tenneco, he spent more than two decades at Johnson Controls, where he became president of its Power Solutions business and served on the executive operating team.
Kesseler began his manufacturing career at Ford Motor Co.
The leadership change places an executive with extensive industrial manufacturing experience at the head of TekniPlex as the company pursues expansion across its international operations.
“My focus is on delivering consistently for our customers and our people, growing faster than the underlying markets we serve, and driving operational excellence,” Kesseler said.
TekniPlex supplies materials and manufacturing solutions to healthcare and consumer products companies worldwide. Its operations span markets where production efficiency, materials performance and customer relationships are central to its business.
Rob Rutledge, managing partner at Genstar Capital, pointed to Kesseler’s experience managing large manufacturing businesses as a factor in the appointment.
“He has scaled large global manufacturing businesses, and he knows how to drive growth and innovation,” Rutledge said.
The company did not specify additional management changes associated with the transition.
Kesseler holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace University.
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