
Elkay Manufacturing announced that President and CEO Tim Jahnke, who has led the company since 2007, plans to retire from day-to-day leadership to concentrate on his role on Elkay’s Board of Directors. Ric Phillips has been named by Elkay’s Board to succeed Tim as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Ric is a seasoned senior executive with deep experience developing strategy, driving execution, negotiating transactions, and positively impacting organizational culture. As President and Chief Executive Officer of Essendant, Inc. (formerly United Stationers, Inc.), Ric rebuilt the company’s overall strategy and oversaw the largest restructuring in its history. He consistently delivered performance at or above the company’s Wall Street guidance, and the company’s share price increased by more than 50% during his tenure. He planned, negotiated, and announced an industry-changing merger with a major competitor and ultimately navigated the company to a successful combination in January 2019.
Before his promotion to CEO, Ric was President of Essendant’s ORS Nasco Industrial business and also Group President of the company’s Industrial Portfolio. He joined Essendant in 2013 as President of Online and New Channels.
Prior to joining Essendant in 2013, Ric spent 14 years at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. He was elected Partner at McKinsey in 2005.
“It is an exciting time to join Elkay, and I feel honored to fill this important role at such a pivotal moment in the company’s history,” said Phillips. “Elkay is a vibrant, rapidly-growing global enterprise spanning multiple industries that also happens to be turning 100 years old in January 2020. I look forward to celebrating this remarkable milestone and working with the company’s 2,500 employees around the world to continue advancing our ingenuity and innovation and providing world-class service to an ever-expanding set of global customers.”