MILTON, Ga. (June 15, 2010) — The board of battery maker Exide Technologies Corp. has appointed James R. Bolch president and CEO, effective July 26, succeeding Gordon A. Ulsh, the company's current CEO who will retire and step down from the board on that date.
Mr. Boch, 52, also will join the board. Mr. Ulsh, 64, who has served as Exide's CEO since April 2005, had previously informed the board of his intention to retire as part of the company's long-term succession planning process.
The company also announced that Edward O'Leary, 54, who held the positions of president and chief operating office, recently submitted his resignation, effective June 16, after a career spanning more than 30 years in the automotive and industrial sectors. He joined Exide in July 2005 as president and COO, with responsibility for the company's four operating divisions.
Since 2005 when he joined Ingersoll Rand Co., Mr. Bolch has served as that firm's senior vice president and president, Industrial Technologies Sector. Prior to that he served stints with Schindler Elevator Corp., where he was executive vice president of the service business, and he spent 21 years with United Technologies Corp. before moving to Otis Elevator Co.
Exide Board Chairman John P. Reilly called Mr. Bolch “the ideal leader for Exide, combining deep operational acumen with a proven track record of driving innovation and strategic growth. His broad expertise and insights will be instrumental in strengthening Exide's position as an integrated global supplier of environmentally sound energy storage products and solutions for traditional and alternative energy markets—building on the successful model that Gordon Ulsh and his team have executed during the past five years.”
Exide has operations in more than 80 countries and is one of the world's largest producers and recyclers of lead-acid batteries.