MELBOURNE FLA.: Harris Corp. announced that its board of directors has appointed William M. Brown president and CEO effective Nov. 1, 2011. The board expects to appoint Brown, 48, to the board of directors at its December 2011 meeting.
Brown succeeds Howard L. Lance, who has served as CEO since January 2003. Lance announced in May 2011 his intention to retire when a successor was named. Lance, 55, will continue to serve as chairman, president and CEO through Oct. 31, 2011, and will then serve as non-executive chairman of the Board until Dec. 31, 2011. Lance will serve as a senior advisor to the company through Dec. 31, 2012.
On Jan.1, 2012, Thomas A. Dattilo, 60, former chairman, president and CEO of Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. and a member of the Harris board since 2001, will become non-executive chairman of the board. Dattilo is expected to serve in this role for up to two years. The board expects to name Brown to the combined chairman and CEO role at a later date.
Brown joins Harris from United Technologies Corp., where he held several senior leadership roles since he joined the company in 1997. During the past six months, as senior vice president of corporate strategy and development, he was responsible for the company’s global strategic planning and M&A activity.
Prior to that role he served five years as president of UTC’s $6.5 billion Fire & Security division, where he led 45,000 employees, operating 41 factories and 350 branches across 35 countries. In this role, he successfully executed and integrated a number of acquisitions, grew sales from $4.2 billion to $6.5 billion and tripled operating profits. During his tenure, he transformed the division to a global leader in the $100 billion fire, safety and electronic security market, while executing restructuring and productivity initiatives resulting in significant cost savings and return on capital improvement.
Previously Brown held U.S. and international leadership positions in UTC’s Carrier Corp. subsidiary, where he demonstrated a command of the economics of different business units and skill at developing alternative strategies for U.S. and international markets.
Brown received bachelor of science and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from Villanova University and a master of business administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.
