Board of Directors

Richard H. Fleming

Richard H. Fleming was appointed a Director of the Company in March 1999 and was elected Chairman of the Board in July 2018. He also served as Columbus McKinnon’s interim Chief Executive Officer until David J. Wilson’s appointment in June 2020. Mr. Fleming brings strong leadership and financial skills to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Fleming previously served USG Corporation in various capacities for nearly 40 years, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer until his retirement in 2012. USG Corporation manufactures high-performance building systems for the construction and remodeling industries. Mr. Fleming also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) and Optim Energy, LLC., a private company.

In addition to his work with USG Corporation, he was Manager-Banking & Foreign Exchange at Graco, Inc.; Chairman at The Metropolitan Club of Chicago, Inc.; Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer & VP-Planning at Masonite International, Inc.; and Member of the Child Welfare League of America.

Mr. Fleming holds an undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific and a master’s degree from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

David J. Wilson

David J. Wilson joined Columbus McKinnon Corporation on June 1, 2020, as President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Columbus McKinnon, Mr. Wilson served as President of Flowserve Corporation’s Pumps Division from 2018 to 2020. He joined Flowserve in 2017 as the President of Flowserve’s Industrial Products Division. Prior to Flowserve, Mr. Wilson was President of the Industrial segment of SPX FLOW, Inc. He was with SPX Corporation, and subsequently SPX FLOW, between 1998 and 2017 and held senior leadership positions in each of the company’s operating segments, including six years in Asia while serving as the President of Asia Pacific. Mr. Wilson also assisted with the company’s strategic development while serving as Vice President of Business Development for multiple businesses. Before joining SPX, he held operating and engineering leadership positions at Polaroid Corporation.

Mr. Wilson currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hydraulic Institute and was previously a member of the Board of Trustees of the Maine College of Art (MECA). He is a recipient of Shanghai, China’s prestigious Silver (2011) and Gold (2013) Magnolia Awards and served as an Officer and Executive Committee Member of the Pan Asia Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Mr. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts and studied for a master’s degree in business administration at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Mr. Wilson also completed graduate-level coursework at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and at the University of Lausanne/IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Chad R. Abraham

Chad R. Abraham was appointed an Independent Director of the Company in November 2021. He serves on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee. Mr. Abraham’s deep understanding of the industrial landscape, experience as CEO, and track record of fostering transformation and growth are invaluable to Columbus McKinnon and significant additions to our Board.

Mr. Abraham is currently Chairman and CEO of Piper Sandler (NYSE: PIPR), a leading investment bank and financial services company. He has served as the Chairman of Piper Sandler’s Board since he became CEO in 2018. Mr. Abraham also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Nature Conservancy’s Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota chapter and the Board of Trustees of The Blake School.

Mr. Abraham joined Piper Sandler in 1991 as an investment banking analyst in the technology sector. Following that role, he initiated and grew Piper Sandler’s presence in Menlo Park, CA, and later advanced to the head of capital markets. In 2010, he was promoted to Global Co-Head of Investment Banking and Capital Markets before he was appointed Chair and CEO in 2018. In this role, he grew Piper Sandler’s investment banking division from $150M to more than $500M in revenue.

Mr. Abraham holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Northwestern University.

Aziz S. Aghili

Aziz S. Aghili was appointed an Independent Director of the Company in May 2018. He serves on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee. Aziz’s significant global market experience in motion and electronic drive products, as well as his operational excellence, are invaluable to Columbus McKinnon’s pivot to intelligent motion technologies.

Mr. Aghili is the Executive Vice President of Dana and president of Dana’s two Heavy Vehicle business units – Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems and Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems. Dana (NYSE: DAN) is a worldwide supplier of drivetrain, sealing, and thermal-management technologies for vehicle manufacturers. Mr. Aghili also serves on the Board of Directors of Graphic Packaging Holding Company, a leading provider of sustainable paper-based packaging solutions.

Mr. Aghili joined Dana in 2009 as President of Dana Europe and was named President of Dana Asia-Pacific in 2010. Prior to joining Dana, Mr. Aghili held various leadership roles over his 20-year tenure with ArvinMeritor, where he most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of Body Systems. While at ArvinMeritor, he held strategic leadership positions worldwide, including Vice President and General Manager of Asia Pacific and Vice President of Global Procurement, Commercial Marketing, and Business Development - Asia Pacific. Before joining ArvinMeritor, he worked for Nissan Motor Company and General Electric Plastics.

Mr. Aghili holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Teesside Polytechnic University in the United Kingdom. He also holds graduate diplomas in business administration from the University of New South Wales and international management and business administration from the INSEAD Business School in France. He currently resides in Europe.  

Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn

Jeanne M. Beliveau-Dunn was appointed an Independent Director of the Company in March 2020. She serves on the Compensation and Succession Committee and Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee. Ms. Beliveau-Dunn brings immense value to Columbus McKinnon from 30 years of experience as a technology executive and a transformational leader. She brings extensive experience building and managing large-scale infrastructure, cybersecurity, compute, cloud, networking, services and marketing operations, personnel management, and employee and leadership development.

Ms. Beliveau-Dunn is currently the Chief Executive Officer and President of Claridad LLC, a digital and internet of things consulting company. Ms. Beliveau-Dunn also sits on the board for Descartes Labs, a geospatial, AI platform and services company that delivers intelligence to global and government agencies; Edison International (NYSE: EIX), a generator and distributor of electric power; and Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), a leader in the development of innovative water solutions through smart technology. She is also the Founder and Special Advisor of the IoT Talent Consortium, a non-profit bringing together the leading IoT companies and top workforce educators to accelerate digital transformation, and has been a National Association of Corporate Directors (NCAD) fellow since March 2019.

Before her position with Claridad LLC, Ms. Beliveau-Dunn was the Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), a global developer, manufacturer, and seller of networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services and products. During her tenure with Cisco, she held several director-level positions and founded the Internet Business Solutions Group. Prior to Cisco, Ms. Beliveau-Dunn ran business operations at Micronics Computers and the secure systems product lines for Wang Laboratories.

Ms. Beliveau-Dunn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, business law, and computer science from the University of Massachusetts. She also completed the Executive MBA program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Executive Leadership Program at the Harvard Business School. She is highly recognized by several organizations for her governance leadership, including Women Inc. as one of the Most Influential Corporate Directors in 2018 and Silicon Valley Business Journal as a Women of Influence in 2015.

Gerald Colella

Gerald G. Colella was appointed Independent Director of the Company in November 2021. He serves on the Compensation Committee and the Governance and Nomination Committee. His deep industrial technology experience, combined with his track record of expanding into new geographies and markets while delivering sustainable and profitable growth, makes him integral to our Board and the future of Columbus McKinnon.

Mr. Colella also serves as the Chairman of the Board for MKS Instruments (Nasdaq: MKSI), a global provider of instruments, systems, subsystems, and process control solutions that measure, monitor, deliver, analyze, power and control critical parameters of advanced manufacturing processes. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the University of Lowell’s Manning School of Business. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors for GCP Applied Technologies.

In 2020, Mr. Colella retired as President and CEO of MKS after spending 36 years advancing through progressively challenging positions. His experience spans from Vice President of Worldwide Operations to Chief Business Officer and later Chief Operating Officer. During this time, he oversaw all aspects of the business, preparing him for his successful tenure as President and CEO.

Mr. Colella holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and teaching from the University of Lowell and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts.

Michael Dastoor

Michael Dastoor was appointed a Director of the Company in May 2021. He serves on the Audit Committee and Compensation and Succession Committee. His financial executive leadership skills and strategic insights add a valuable perspective to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Dastoor is the Executive Vice President and CFO of Jabil Incorporated (NYSE: JBL), a global manufacturing services company. In 2000, he joined Jabil as a regional controller in the Asia Pacific region and served as the Senior Vice President and Controller from 2004 through 2018, when he was named CFO.

Prior to joining Jabil, Mr. Dastoor worked for seven years as Regional Chief Financial Officer at Inchape plc (LSE: INCH), a British multinational automotive distribution, retail, and services company, leading business process re-engineering for the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia regions as part of the M&A team.

He holds degrees in finance and accounting from the University of Mumbai (formerly the University of Bombay) and is a chartered accountant through the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, where he spent seven years in auditing covering the United Kingdom and Europe.

Liam McCarthy

Liam McCarthy was appointed a Director of the Company in November 2008. He serves as the Chair for the Compensation and Succession Committee and as an independent member of the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee. Mr. McCarthy brings over 40 years of experience in industrial and international business expertise to the Columbus McKinnon Board.

Mr. McCarthy retired as the President and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Molex Incorporated (NASDAQ: MOLX), a manufacturer of electronic, electrical, and fiber optic connectivity systems, in June 2017. He previously served on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Singapore Economic Development Board, and the Singapore National Science and Technology Council.

In the more than 40 years Mr. McCarthy spent with Molex, he worked in a variety of executive and management capacities, including President and Chief Operating Officer through December 2015; Vice President, Operations, Europe from 2001 to 2005; President, Data Communications Division, Americas Region from 1998 to 2001; and General Manager, Singapore from 1993 to 1998. He also served as Regional Marketing Manager, Far East South Region from 1991 to 1993 and Materials Director, Singapore from 1989 to 1991.

Mr. McCarthy holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Dublin, Ireland, and an MBA from the Henley Business School in the United Kingdom.

Heath A. Mitts

Heath A. Mitts was appointed a Director of the Company in May 2015. He serves as the Committee Chair for the Audit Committee and serves on the Compensation and Succession Committee. Mr. Mitts is a financial expert on our Board and brings Columbus McKinnon a wealth of indispensable experience developing and implementing financial strategy, direction, and compliance initiatives.

Mr. Mitts is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE: TEL). TE Connectivity is a global designer and manufacturer of connectors and sensors for industries, such as automotive, industrial equipment, data communication systems, aerospace, defense, medical, oil and gas, consumer electronics, and energy.

Mr. Mitts joined TE Connectivity in 2016. Before this, he held the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of IDEX Corporation (NYSE: IEX), a global leader known for expertise in highly engineered fluidics systems and components for high-growth specialized markets. Mr. Mitts also held various senior financial management roles in North America and Singapore with PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE: PKI), a global company serving the healthcare industry in diagnostics, life science research, food, and environmental and industrial testing. He also held various management roles, including Director of Finance at Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ: HON).

Mr. Mitts holds bachelor’s degrees in finance and political science from Southern Methodist University and an MBA in finance from Pennsylvania State University.

Nicholas T. Pinchuk

Nicholas T. Pinchuk was appointed a Director of the Company in January 2007. He serves on the Compensation and Succession Committee and Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee.

Mr. Pinchuk is the Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of Snap-on Incorporated (NYSE: SNA), a company that designs and manufactures high-end tools and equipment for professional use in transportation, power generation, and other critical industries. Currently, he also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Manufacturers, the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturer’s Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, the Senior Advisory Board of Syracuse University’s School of Management, and the Board of Trustees of Carthage College.

Before joining Snap-on in 2002, Mr. Pinchuk worked in various executive, operational, and financial capacities at United Technologies Corporation, which is now a part of Raytheon Technologies, and its subsidiary, Carrier Corporation. He also worked for Ford Motor Company in financial and engineering roles.  

Mr. Pinchuk holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering and master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also served as an officer in the United States Army.

Kathryn V. Roedel

Kathryn V. Roedel was appointed a Director of the Company in October 2017. She serves as the Chair for the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee and as an independent member of the Compensation and Succession Committee. Ms. Roedel brings a broad base of expertise to our Board, including strategy, risk management, technology development, regulatory compliance, and leadership development.

Ms. Roedel serves as the Board Director at Generac, Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) and is on the Board of Directors for The Jones Family of Companies, a private manufacturer. She previously was a senior leader on the Sleep Number Board and volunteers with the International Sleep Products Association, where she was the Board Chair from March 2015 to March 2016.

In 2016, Ms. Roedel retired from her position as EVP, Chief Services and Fulfillment Officer at Sleep Number Corporation (NASDAQ: SCSS), a direct-to-consumer, vertically integrated mattress retailer and manufacturer. In her role at Sleep Number Corporation, Ms. Roedel demonstrated extensive thought leadership in architecting customer experience strategies that inform business direction. Before joining Sleep Number in 2005, Ms. Roedel spent 22 years with General Electric’s Healthcare and Information Services businesses, where she held Vice President and General Management positions in operations, supply chain, services, and continuous improvement.

Ms. Roedel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University.