Thomas & Betts Corp. (T&B, Memphis, Tenn.): Christopher Hartmann has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer. Hartmann currently serves as president of the company’s electrical business. Hartmann will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Dominic J. Pileggi. He will be responsible for the company’s global business operations, including manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. He will continue to lead the company’s electrical business until a successor is named. Hartmann joined T&B in 2003 as president of the company’s electrical operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Before joining T&B, he served as president and chief operating officer of Affiliated Distributors. The company also named Imad Hajj to the newly created position of chief development officer. One of Hajj’s major responsibilities will be to lead the company’s merger and acquisition activities. Hajj has more than 20 years experience at T&B.
SLI Lighting (Mullins, S.C.): Frederick (Fred) Engel has been named the new president of U.S. Distribution. In his new role, Engel will lead the company’s North American initiatives. Engel joins SLI US after spending the past eight years heading up his own consulting firm, Fred Engel International Consultancy.
Knaack Manufacturing, a division of Emerson (Crystal Lake, Ill.): Chad Severson has been appointed president. Severson previously served as Knaack’s vice president of marketing and product development. Severson has more than 14 years of sales, marketing and product development experience for various industrial, equipment manufacturers and consumer companies selling into a variety of channels. He began his career at Copeland Corp., another Emerson division, where he held sales, marketing and product management position
Summit Electric Supply (Albuquerque, N.M.): Russ Hiller has been named to the executive team as chief accounting officer/treasurer. His previous title was corporate controller. Hiller is a certified public accountant accredited in business valuation. He had 10 years of public accounting experience before joining Summit in February 2005.