Barry-Wehmiller announced that Kyle Chapman was elected as the new Chairman of the Board. In this role, he succeeded his late father, Bob Chapman, who directed the organization for five decades. The appointment builds upon Chapman’s established responsibilities within the 141-year-old, $4 billion organization, where he has functioned as President since 2020 and Chief Executive Officer since 2025. According to company statements, the leadership transition intends to advance the firm’s strategic focus on balancing high financial performance with a people-centric corporate culture.
“Barry-Wehmiller is at an inflection point in its history,” Chapman stated. “We’re poised for incredible growth. And as we grow, as we redefine success in business, we’re going to attract more talent, complete more acquisitions, develop more leaders and have more influence. People are going to want to adopt our methodology.”
Kyle Chapman holds a Bachelor of Science in commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. His early career included managing approximately $300 million in corporate investments at Banc of America Capital Investors. In 2009, he co-founded BW Forsyth Partners, an equity firm associated with Barry-Wehmiller that currently manages a portfolio exceeding $850 million.
Between 2015 and 2019, Chapman worked as a Strategic Financial Advisor to the senior leadership group at Barry-Wehmiller, focusing on operational performance and organizational alignment. He subsequently assumed the role of Interim Chief Financial Officer in 2020 before being promoted to President later that same year.
“In his 15-plus years at Barry-Wehmiller, Kyle has risen to every responsibility placed before him,” commented Chet Walker, a member of the Barry-Wehmiller Board of Directors. “He does not simply carry his father’s name. He carries his father’s conviction, backed by a sharp and tested business mind of his own, and a clear-eyed understanding that our measure of success is not found on a balance sheet alone, but in the lives we touch and the trust we earn. This transition mirrors, in some ways, the one that shaped Bob himself. When Bob lost his father in 1976, he stepped forward and built something extraordinary. We believe Kyle will do the same — and we believe Bob knew it, too.”
Organizational Legacy and Governance Structure
The previous Chairman, Bob Chapman, passed away earlier this year. During his tenure, he integrated traditional industrial management with a methodology designated as “Truly Human Leadership.” His business philosophy was detailed in the publication Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family, which was re-issued in an updated edition in 2025.
In a corporate communication published following the appointment of the new CEO, Bob Chapman had noted: “In Kyle, I see not only the future of Barry-Wehmiller but also the future of business itself — a future where leaders prioritize humanity as much as profitability, where care and compassion are as integral to decision-making as strategy and execution. As he steps fully into this role, I know that our legacy is secure, and I feel an immense sense of hope for what lies ahead.”
The board of directors overseen by Kyle Chapman includes the following corporate executives:
- Chet Walker: Co-founder and Senior Advisor of BW Forsyth Partners; former Managing Partner of Banc of America Capital Investors.
- Brian Hotarek: Former CFO of Ahold USA, Inc. and The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC.
- Pete Wallace: Board Member of Curtiss-Wright Corporation and Chairman of Applied Industrial Technologies.
- John Stroup: Partner of CD&R LLP and Chairman of the Board at Indicor and Crane NXT.
- Tim Noonan: Founder and CEO of Evertrak LLC; former Program Manager at Boeing.
- Tim Sullivan: Former Group President at Barry-Wehmiller.
- Stacey Tank: Founder and CEO of Our Happy Place; former Chief Transformation Officer at Heineken.
