Cummins announced Thursday that effective Aug. 1, Tom Linebarger will end his term as CEO of the company and Jennifer Rumsey will assume the role of president and CEO.
Rumsey will be the seventh CEO and first woman to lead the company since it was founded in 1919. Linebarger will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors and in an executive chairman role, working directly with Rumsey on specific initiatives that position the company for continued success, including completing the pending acquisition of Meritor.
“Jen is a once in a generation talent and the right leader for Cummins at this important time in our history,” says Linebarger. “She has been my partner in developing the Destination Zero strategy, which sets forth how the decarbonization of our industry will be a significant growth opportunity for Cummins. Her background as an engineer and technology expertise provides her a deep understanding of the major technical changes taking place and how to capitalize on them. Jen uniquely understands our customers and business, having worked in many different parts of the business during her more than 20-year career, and in every role, she has consistently delivered results.
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“Most recently, she led our global operations as COO during one of the most challenging periods in our history, delivering record revenues and dramatically improving product quality and our market position while addressing unprecedented supply chain constraints. Most importantly, Jen is a principled leader who cares deeply about our stakeholders. We share a common vision for Cummins, and I am confident that Jen will lead Cummins into an even more prosperous future,” he adds.
Regarding the leadership change, Cummins Lead Director Tom Lynch says: “On behalf of the Cummins board, I want to thank Tom for his three decades at the company, including the last 15 years where he served first in the COO role and then as CEO. His leadership has grown Cummins’ global business, positioned the company to lead in zero- and low-carbon solutions, and developed a highly capable and diverse management team to lead us through the technology transition. We look forward to his continued contributions as executive chairman,” he says.
“During our long-term strategic planning, the Board had the opportunity to see Jen lead on key business initiatives and co-author the Destination Zero strategy with Tom. Jen is the ideal choice to lead Cummins into its next chapter, and we are confident that Jen will drive continued success for our business and customers.”
Since taking on the role of COO in March 2021, Rumsey has overseen Cummins’ global operations. In February 2022, she was elected to the Cummins board of directors, and she will maintain her seat on the board.
