Omar Monajjed was promoted to corporate social responsibility (CSR) manager at Nexans. He joined the company in Lebanon in 2013 as a quality first line manager, then was promoted to quality manager in 2019. He became an industrial performance leader in 2020 in France, where he became group environment manager in 2021. Last year he led sustainability operations for the group while implementing a pilot in Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 for Sweden and France with Schneider Electric. Prior to Nexans, he had worked for five years for Jeddah Cables Company as a senior projects engineer. He holds degrees from the American University of Beirut where he was an electrical and computer student. Nexans is a global leader in wire and cable production.

Service Wire reported two recent hires. Rich McCathren was named national sales engineer. Previous employers included Irby Co., a distributor of electrical supplies and services, and Prysmian/General Cable, where he was sales director/southwest for eight years. He has more than 30 years of experience in commercial, industrial and utility markets. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial distribution from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. Cortney Wesneski was named a regional sales manager. She has more than a decade of industry experience, including sales management at Siemens and Graybar. She will be responsible for accounts in northeast Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, northern Louisiana, and western Tennessee. She holds a B.S. degree from Sam Houston State University. Based in Culloden, West Virginia, Service Wire is a family-owned wire and cable manufacturer.

Lincoln Electric reported a number of personnel items, two related to a leadership transition. Christopher L. Mapes, chairman, president and CEO, who has served as president and CEO since 2012, will retire from those roles at year’s end. He will continue after that as executive chairman of the board, effective January 1, 2024. Under his leadership, Lincoln Electric has extended its global base, including more than 20 acquisitions, strong financial results and received multiple awards, including as one of the “World’s Best Employers” by Forbes. Steven B. Hedlund, who has been with the company for 15 years and serves as COO, will be president, CEO, and a member of the Board as of Jan. 1, 2024. He joined the company in 2008 as vice president, strategy and business development, and in 2015, he was promoted to senior vice president, president of global automation. In 2020, he was named executive vice president, president of Americas and international welding, and in 2022 was promoted to COO. He holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Dartmouth College. Jan Deruytter has joined Lincoln Electric as director, manufacturing productivity improvement. His 28-year industry career started at Bekaert where he was in operations and engineering for 12 years, followed by two years as plant manager at Fenix, LLC, eight years as general manager of Solon Specialty Wire Co. & ShapedWire; three years as director, tech services for ASW-Pengg LLC; one year at Heico; and most recently, director, global commodities, for WireCo WorldGroup. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln Electric supplies technology and solutions for welding, including wire.

Obituary
John D. Nichols Jr., the former CEO of both Illinois Tool Works and the Marmon Group, died June 14, 2023, at age 92. In 1980, he joined Illinois Tool Works as an executive vice president, was promoted to president and COO in 1981, then CEO and then chairman. During his nearly 14 years as CEO, annual sales grew from $400 million to $4.1 billion. He retired in 1995 and in 2002 he succeeded Marmon co-founder Bob Pritzker as CEO. He played an essential role in Marmon’s development into the company it is today. He formalized Marmon’s operating structure into groups of related businesses, introduced 80/20 business practices that are still applied across Marmon, and prepared Marmon for its acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2008. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

• Aug. 24, 2023. The Ohio Valley Chapter’s Golf Tournament will take place at the Kennsington Golf Club, Canfield, Ohio.
• Sept. 11, 2023. The New England Chapter Golf Tournament will take place at the Tunxis Country Club, Farmington, Connecticut.
• Sept. 12, 2023. The Southeast Chapter Golf Tournament will take place at the Rock Barn Country Club in Conover, North Carolina.

The collective chapter golf tournaments bring together professionals from the wire and cable industry for a day of camaraderie and sportsmanship. Beyond the obvious attraction of golfing, the events serve as an excellent platform to build new connections, exchange knowledge, and strengthen existing relationships within the industry.

Register online for tournament, sponsorship, and dinner-only participation: wai.configio.com.

Want to become a chapter member?

Add a chapter membership to your existing WAI membership for only $15/year. Unlock additional networking and educational member benefits on the regional level. Contact WAI’s membership department at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.wirenet.org/members/chapter-network to learn more.

The WAI’s Southeast Chapter Annual Golf Tournament has changed the date. Please update your calendars and mark Tuesday, Sept. 12, as the new date for this highly anticipated event.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28th, the Southeast Chapter Annual Golf Tournament will now take place earlier, ensuring that participants can enjoy the beautiful greens of Rock Barn Country Club in Conover, North Carolina. The venue, known for its stunning landscapes and top-notch facilities, offers the perfect setting for a day of friendly competition and networking with industry professionals.

“The tournament promises to be an exciting day, filled with laughter, friendly competition, and, of course, the chance to win some incredible prizes,” said Chapter President John Dognazzi.

The Southeast Chapter will also use funds raised from the event to support their annual scholarship program. The tournament is open to both members and non-members of WAI. For more information and to sign up, visit WAI’s event registration system that can be found at wai.configio.com.

Get ready to tee off and make lasting memories at the Southeast Chapter Annual Golf Tournament. It’s time to swing into action!

WAI’s manager of membership & social media, John Markowski, has left the Association after five years for a position with Kubtec Medical Imaging, a Connecticut-based manufacturer in the medical field.

“It has been an honor to serve this incredible community, and I am immensely proud of the bonds we’ve forged and the growth we’ve achieved together,” said Markowski, who started out with WAI in 2018 as an intern while attending Albertus Magnus College. “Working at WAI was an incredible learning experience, and while I’ll miss the daily interactions, I leave with a heart full of cherished memories and deep appreciation for every individual I had the privilege to collaborate with.”

During his time with WAI, Markowski propelled the organization’s digital presence through social media and fostered a vibrant and engaged member base, growing membership by 30% over the past two and a half years. He was also responsible for managing five chapter boards, the Member Relations Committee, the company’s internship program, and event planning.

In other personnel news, Gina Guzowski left her position earlier this year as sales manager of WAI. She joined the company in 2022, and in her first two months worked at both Wire Expo 2022 in Dallas and at wire Düsseldorf 2022.

“Like any business, WAI has to adjust to changes in personnel,” said WAI Executive Director Steve Fetteroll. “While we’re sad to lose John, who has done a lot for us, we wish him and Gina the best.”

Wire Journal International is pleased to announce that Anna Bzowski has returned to WAI in a new role: director of international sales & business development. She joins Shannon Timme, director of sales, as the other half of the two-person department.

Bzowski is well known to the industry as she worked in the sales department for 17 years, including 15 years as sales manager. She returned in May to assist WAI in the production of Interwire. “We were pleased that she was able and willing to assist with the significant activities associated with the successful production of the show,” said Steve Fetteroll, WAI’s executive director. “We were even happier, when she agreed to rejoin in this full-time capacity.”

The sales team will be responsible for customers along geographic lines, with Timme being the point person for U.S. based customers, and Bzowski responsible for companies with headquarters outside of the U.S.

“I’m pleased to be back because I have always enjoyed interacting with customers in our industry,” Bzowski said. “Understanding their needs and challenges allows me to introduce, develop, and implement partnership-based solutions that support their business objectives.”

As a dual citizen (Polish/American), Bzowski said that she enjoys exploring different cultures and finding ways to promote mindful communication and professional business exchange. “I’m hopeful our in-person and real engagement driven events will attract more clients from all over the world and our advertising channels will continue to support marketing efforts and branding opportunities for domestic and international clients.”

Aside from WAI’s Interwire and Wire Expo trade shows, Bzowski has marketed International Technical Conferences, golf tournaments, webinars, educational and networking events. From 2010-2017, she also served as the membership liaison for the Association’s New England Chapter, which saw much growth during that period. She holds a degree in teaching from Jagiellonian University in Poland, and attended the University of New Haven.