BorgWarner Inc. has announced Brady Ericson will serve as president and CEO, and Chris Gropp will serve as executive vice president and chief financial officer (CF) of the separate, publicly traded company that will result from completion of the previously announced proposed spin-off of BorgWarner’s Fuel Systems and Aftermarket segments. BorgWarner also announced today that the intended company name is “PHINIA Inc.”
“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,” said Frédéric B. Lissalde, president and CEO, BorgWarner. “Today’s announcement is also an exciting next step that personifies and gives an identity to what we had referred to as ‘NewCo’, now PHINIA.”
Ericson began his career at BorgWarner in 2000 and has served as vice president of BorgWarner and president and general manager of BorgWarner Fuel Systems and Aftermarket since March 2022. He has been an officer of BorgWarner since 2011 while serving as president and general manager of three different business units and as BorgWarner’s chief strategy officer. Prior to this, he served in roles of increasing responsibility in operations, manufacturing strategy, engineering, and sales. He has served in overseas assignments in four different countries in Europe and Asia. Earlier in his career, Ericson held various sales and engineering positions with Honeywell (formerly AlliedSignal), Remy International, and Ford Motor Co. Ericson holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected to launch and lead PHINIA. We will draw upon BorgWarner’s rich 130-year history – maintaining the strong culture of product leadership, integrity and operational excellence,” says Ericson. “There is a tremendous opportunity and a bright future ahead for our talented employees, with exciting things on the horizon.”
Gropp began her career at BorgWarner in 2001, serving most recently as vice president of finance for Fuel Systems and Aftermarket since October 2020. Over her 22 years at BorgWarner, Gropp has held positions of increasing responsibility in several BorgWarner businesses domestically and internationally, from plant controller and commercial controller to finance director and vice president of finance for three of BorgWarner’s businesses. Prior to joining BorgWarner, Gropp was an auditor for KPMG and director, finance/controller for Pressac Inc. Gropp earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama. She is a certified public accountant licensed in Alabama and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants.
“We’ve delivered significant operational and segment margin improvement over the last couple of years in Fuel Systems and Aftermarket,” says Gropp. “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.”
PHINIA is expected to be a product leader in fuel systems, starters, alternators and aftermarket distribution with balanced and synergistic exposure among Commercial Vehicle, Light Vehicle, and Aftermarket end-markets, and to have broad regional and customer exposures.
The proposed spin-off is expected to be completed in late 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary conditions.
