BorgWarner spun off its fuel systems and aftermarket segments into a new company, Phinia Inc., which will be lead by CEO Brady Ericson and EVP/CFO Chris Gropp.
"Brady and Chris are well-rounded and respected leaders at BorgWarner and in the industry. They each possess a breadth of knowledge and experience that will be required to guide Phinia as an independent company and pursue its continued success," says Frederic B. Lissalde, president and CEO of BorgWarner.
Ericson started at BorgWarner in 2000 and has served as vice president of BorgWarner and general manager of BorgWarner Fuel Systems and Aftermarket. He was also chief strategy officer and worked in operations, manufacturing strategy, engineering and sales across four different countries. A graduate of Kettering University and Duke, he also worked for Honeywell, Remy International and Ford Motor Co.
"I am honored and humbled to be selected to launch and lead Phinia," Ericson says. "We will draw upon BorgWarner's rich 130-year history -- maintaining the strong culture of product leadership, integrity and operational excellence. There is a tremendous opportunity and a bright future ahead for our talented employees, with exciting things on the horizon."
Gropp began at BorgWarner in 2001, most recently serving as vice president of finance for fuel systems and aftermarket. She's held positions such as plant controller, commercial controller, finance director and vice president of finance for three of BorgWarner's businesses. Before BorgWarner, the University of Alabama graduate worked for KPMG and Pressac Inc.
"We've delivered significant operational and segment margin improvement over the last couple of years in fuel systems and aftermarket. I'm excited for the opportunity to lead Phinia, as part of Brady's leadership team, and seek to continue the positive momentum and financial discipline, with the objective of setting us up for success as an independent entity," Gropp says.
The spin-off will be complete later this year, BorgWarner says, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions.
