Barry-Wehmiller (BW), the 140-year-old global enterprise with revenues exceeding USD 3.6 billion and active in industrial and packaging automation, professional services and life sciences technology, announced that Kyle Chapman has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, in addition to his current position as President. The appointment is effective immediately. Bob Chapman, who had served as CEO since 1975, will continue in his role as Chairman of the Board and remains the company’s majority shareholder.
Leadership at Barry-Wehmiller has been in the Chapman family for decades. In 1957, William A. Chapman became President, and family ownership followed in 1963. Bob Chapman joined in 1969, and after his father’s sudden death in 1976, he became President, later assuming the positions of CEO and Chairman. Reflecting on the transition, Bob Chapman expressed his enthusiasm in seeing his son take on the leadership of the family company, a milestone his own father was not able to witness.
“Our primary responsibility is to ensure a business model in which the people under our span of care experience meaningful work, feel safe and valued, and are confident in our shared future,” said Bob Chapman. “Throughout Kyle’s time at Barry-Wehmiller, he has added dramatically to that vision. Through this transition, we will continue to work together as father and son, as two stewards of our 12,000-plus team members, to show the world that you can create human and economic vibrancy in harmony.”
Kyle Chapman brings over 25 years of private equity and operational experience to his new role. He began his career at Banc of America Capital Investors, managing approximately USD 300 million in investments across multiple industries. In 2009, he co-founded BW Forsyth Partners, the company’s hybrid equity firm now exceeding USD 850 million, which merges Barry-Wehmiller’s long-term orientation and cultural focus with the best practices of private equity. From 2015 to 2019, he served as Strategic Financial Advisor to Barry-Wehmiller’s leadership team, contributing to performance growth and greater cultural alignment. Appointed Interim CFO in 2020, he was later named President. His progression to CEO reflects both his extensive experience within the company and his deep understanding of its human-centered leadership model.
“I am honored to lead Barry-Wehmiller and grateful for the strong foundation established by my father and his leadership teams,” stated Kyle Chapman. “I am fully committed to building on my dad’s legacy by proving that extraordinary financial strength and a deep commitment to people can go hand in hand. Our purpose remains to inspire others by demonstrating that human-centered leadership and top-tier performance are not mutually exclusive but complementary.”
In outlining his vision, the new CEO emphasized several cornerstones of Barry-Wehmiller’s strategy:
- History and track record of acquisitions with a permanent capital mindset: BW has acquired more than 145 companies with a perpetual hold mindset.
- Tested and enduring business model: BW will remain focused on diversified, recurring and predictable revenue streams within healthy end markets with GDP+ growth potential.
- Builder and scaler of companies: As an investor, operator and partner, BW drives growth by platform through a deployable business model playbook and approach to fostering human vibrancy through a culture of leadership. This approach enabled BW to realize double-digit annual growth for the last 35-plus years.
- Pioneered new expectations of leadership that center on fostering human vibrancy: BW’s Truly Human Leadership model calls for a paradigm shift from “management” to “leadership” through an approach that centers on enabling and empowering leaders who perform with excellence and care for others.
- Externally validated approach to cultivating leaders: BW’s distinct approach to cultivating leaders has gained global recognition from thought leaders like Simon Sinek and Bill Ury; been celebrated through a Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Everybody Matters; inspired a popular Harvard Case Study; earned its leaders the opportunity to present at the United Nations, the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Vatican; and is being integrated into teaching content at a growing number of business schools.
“Ultimately, I want Barry-Wehmiller to be a source of inspiration – undeniable proof that businesses can achieve sustained, elite performance without sacrificing their humanity. That is the true measure of success,” concluded Kyle Chapman.
