Welbilt Names New CEO

The board of directors at Welbilt Inc. has elected William C. Johnson as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective November 9. Johnson, who has a long career leading global manufacturing companies, succeeds Josef Matosevic, who has served as Welbilt’s interim CEO since the resignation of Hubertus Muehlhaeuser in August.

Board Chair Cindy Egnotovich says, “After conducting a thorough and comprehensive search, the board is confident that Bill’s over thirty years of experience in the commercial foodservice, industrial products and manufacturing sector are a great fit for Welbilt’s continued growth and the enhancement of shareholder value. He has led strategic M&A, driven operating and supply chain excellence, optimized capital structures, and delivered productivity and margin enhancements.”

Prior to joining Welbilt, Johnson was CEO of Chart Industries, a global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment for the industrial gas, energy, and biomedical industries. From 2006-16, he held various senior level positions at Dover Corp., including v.p. of Dover and president and CEO of Dover Refrigeration and Food Equipment where he was responsible for six operating companies; prior to that he held the same titles at Dover’s Hill Phoenix division, a manufacturer of commercial refrigeration systems, and at its Triton Systems division, a designer and manufacturer of ATMs. Earlier in his career, Johnson helmed Graham Corp., a manufacturer of oil refining, petrochemical and power equipment.

Upon his appointment as Welbilt’s CEO, Johnson stated, “I will leverage the leadership and executive management experience built over my career, along with Welbilt’s portfolio of award-winning product brands, to maximize results for our customers, deliver profitable growth and create value for shareholders. There are tremendous opportunities to gain market share with our existing products and to bring other high-quality solutions and services to market, while remaining disciplined and focused. I am excited to begin working with the Board, management team and the exceptional group of business unit leaders to fulfill Welbilt’s potential as the industry leader.”

Welbilt’s product brands includes Cleveland, Convotherm, Crem, Delfield, Frymaster, Garland, Kolpak, Lincoln, Manitowoc Ice, Merco, Merrychef and Multiplex. It is headquartered in the Tampa Bay region of Florida and operates 20 plants throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.