People On the Move - Oct. 24, 2025 Update

Southwire (Carrollton, GA)

After more than four decades of leadership in the electrical industry and a decade as president and CEO of Southwire, Rich Stinson has announced that he will retire from the company. Ganesh Ramaswamy will lead the company as president. Norman Adkins, the company's president and COO, has also announced his retirement, which will take place in April 2026.
Since joining Southwire in 2015, Stinson's leadership has been focused on long-term strategy, as well as continuous improvement within the company's operating rhythms and processes. He has successfully led the business through organic growth as well as expansion via acquisition. Stinson has focused on two P&Ls - Profit and Loss and People and Lives - playing a key role in improving Southwire's overall financial position and striving to create a superior work environment. As CEO, he has inspired and continues to emphasize the importance of a company culture built on empowerment, trust, consistency and inclusion.
Most recently, Stinson has pursued a passion around the electrification of America and has been a key voice in ensuring the industry is prepared to address the opportunities and challenges ahead. He played a key role in the formation of the Alliance to Electrify America, which includes representatives from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA). This coalition aims to address the pressing challenges of re-electrification and leverage opportunities for the benefit of future generations and the economy. 
As Stinson transitions, Southwire is pleased to welcome Ganesh Ramaswamy to lead the company as president and CEO. Ramaswamy will join the company in December, and Stinson will serve as executive advisor to the CEO through the first part of 2026.
Ramaswamy currently serves as executive VP, Industrial & Energy Technology for Baker Hughes, which has a portfolio of technologies and services that span the energy and industrial value chain. In this role, he leads a $12-billion business with more than 20,000 employees worldwide. Ramaswamy also serves on the board of PACCAR, a global manufacturer of trucks. 
Ramaswamy holds a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Kerala; an MS in mechanical engineering from Auburn University; a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania; and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. He currently resides in the Chicago area with his wife and two daughters, and enjoys hiking, sports and travel and engaging in local community initiatives that promote education and economic development.
Norman Adkins is planning to retire in April 2026 after nearly four decades of industry leadership. He joined Southwire in 1998. He will continue to serve as president of the International Cablemakers Federation (ICF), where he inspires advancement in the wire and cable industry at a global level.

Sonepar (Charleston, SC)

Alan Rosenfeld, East Region president in the U.S., will retire on Jan. 3, 2026, following a 43-year career in the electrical distribution industry.
Rosenfeld began his career in a manager trainee program at a regional distributor in California, which later became part of Rexel. Over 25 years, he rose to become Rexel’s West Region president. In 2008, he joined Capital Electric as COO and was named president in 2014. Under his leadership, Capital Electric grew from a $215-million company into a $1.5-billion Mid-Atlantic powerhouse.
In 2018, Rosenfeld was promoted to East Region president for Sonepar USA, overseeing a $4.2-billion region that includes NorthEast Electrical, Cooper Electric, Capital Electric and World Electric. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in the acquisition of seven companies across the East Region.
In other news at the company, Micah Carlton, head of HR at Summit Electric/Sonepar, has been promoted to VP of Human Resources Central Region for Sonepar USA, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Carlton joined Summit Electric Supply in 2022, and Summit was acquired by Sonepar in 2024. With over 20 years of HR experience, he has held many leadership positions. He earned a BA in HR management from Baylor University and has stayed involved with his alma mater as an advisory board member.

National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) (Washington, DC)

Tim Speno is now  executive director of Education Outreach. In this role, he will collaborate with Stephanie Adamec, who continues as NECA's executive director of Education, to further expand NECA’s educational programs, strengthen engagement with chapters and member contractors, and enhance access to premier training resources across the electrical construction industry.
Speno joins NECA with a background in workforce development, contractor education and industry leadership. His expertise will play a pivotal role in advancing NECA’s mission to provide world-class learning opportunities that empower electrical contractors to thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Ericson Manufacturing (Willoughby, OH)

The company’s leadership officially transitioned to brothers John and Josh Ericson — John as CEO and Josh as VP of Sales, the fourth generation of the family to manage the business  in its 107-year-old history.

Ewing-Foley (Cupertino, CA)

Shantelle Wischnewsky has rejoined the company in an outside sales role in Texas for the Ewing-Foley Electrical Division, and Wayne Kennedy, Jr., is now an outside salesperson for the Electrical Division’s Rocky Mountain territory according to two company LinkedIn posts.

Border States (Fargo ND)

The company promoted four of its employee-owners into new vice president roles:
Nick Longfors – VP Finance, Financial Planning and Analysis. Longfors has been a Border States employee-owner since 2002, when he started as a Finance intern. Throughout his two decades with the company, he’s held roles in finance and operations and has distinguished himself as a strategic leader.

Cedrick Phillips – VP Services. Phillips has been with Border States since 2012, initially joining the company as a member of Border States’ Distribution Leadership trainee program. Since then, he’s served in operations, warehouse and branch management roles before assuming his most current role as Director of Services in 2022.

Tom Roehrich – VP Category Management. Roehrich joined Border States in 2018 as a strategic pricing manager. His most recent role was senior director of Category Management.

Lori Schramm – VP Finance, corporate controller. Schramm has been with Border States with 2021 as director of Finance – corporate controller. Her previous experience also includes leadership roles in finance and public accounting work.