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Our Leadership Team

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L.B. Foster's executive leadership team sets the company's strategic direction, and is dedicated to sustainable profitable growth via its commitment to providing quality products and services to its customers and treating our customers, suppliers and employees as partners.


 

   John Kasel

      PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

 

 

Mr. Kasel joined the Company in 2003 as Vice President – Operations and Manufacturing and served in roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since December 2019; Senior Vice President – Rail & Construction from 2017 to December 2019; Senior Vice President – Rail Products & Services from 2012 to 2017; and Senior Vice President - Operations and Manufacturing from 2005 to 2012. In his role as Vice President – Manufacturing and Operations from 2003 to 2005, he introduced LEAN manufacturing and other advancements which improved operating efficiency and reliability. When he assumed the role of Senior Vice President of the Rail business following an alignment of all operations under business leaders with full P&L responsibility, the Rail business was the largest reporting segment by revenue. He then added responsibility for the Construction and Tubular segments prior to being appointed COO.

 



    Patrick Guinee

       EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,
       GENERAL COUNSEL AND CORPORATE SECRETARY

 

Mr. Guinee joined the company in 2014 as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.  In this role Mr. Guinee provides leadership for legal matters and public company governance requirements.  He came to the company having previously served in corporate governance and assistant secretary roles at publicly traded companies.  He provides the needed oversight for compliance with SEC regulations as well as structuring policy for proper governance, ethics, and risk management.  He plays an important role in helping business managers make sound decisions regarding contracts, employment and human resources, and various compliance matters. Mr. Guinee also provides legal guidance for the board of directors. Mr. Guinee was promoted to Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in 2023. 
 


Peter Jones    Peter Jones

       VICE PRESIDENT, UK TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS

 

 

Mr. Jones is the Vice President for L.B. Foster operations throughout the European region.  He resides in Sheffield, England, the European headquarters and base of operations for L.B. Foster track components.   L.B. Foster’s European business is largely made up of rail products and solutions for applications that provide efficiency, comfort and safety to transit rail operators.  Mr. Jones is leading efforts to build the company’s automation solutions business targeted at transportation applications and adjacent markets where we are delivering advanced solutions that automate several aspects of equipment and transportation systems, including services designed for bespoke systems to end users.  Following three acquisitions in Europe, this region is playing a key role in creating value for the company.  


     Brian Kelly

         EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,
         HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION

 

Mr. Kelly began his career with L.B. Foster in 2006 as Vice President, Human Resources.  He came to the company having previously served in various HR leadership roles at public and private companies.  Since joining the company, Mr. Kelly has been focused on developing talent and human resources programs that create a culture of teamwork as a cornerstone of our values, emphasizing that it’s not only what you do, but how you do it.  In 2012, Mr. Kelly took over several administrative functions within the company in addition to his HR leadership role.  Today, Mr. Kelly is the Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Administration, with leadership responsibilities that include Human Resources, Strategic Planning, Corporate Marketing, Environmental, Health and Safety, Real Estate and Facilities, and Continuous Sustainable Improvement (CSI).


    Greg Lippard

       EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, RAIL 

 

 

Mr. Lippard is responsible for the Rail Business line as well as the Rail Business segment sales operations.  Mr. Lippard has worked in the North American rail industry for over 25 years and has held various board positions on important industry associations.  As the company’s top leader in sales he is often regarded as the voice of the customer and a key sponsor for our Customer Centric goals.  His responsibilities in the company have also included management of international sales and business development, and he currently leads the sales departments responsible for export sales.  Mr. Lippard is also overseeing the rail segments service initiatives which are a key component to organic growth by helping drive operating ratio performance for freight rail operators.  Mr. Lippard plays a significant role in managing relationships with some of the company’s most important partners.


     William Thalman

         EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

 

 

Mr. William (Bill) M. Thalman joined L.B. Foster in 2021 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2023. Mr. Thalman brings to the company considerable experience from a successful career in finance and operating positions. Mr. Thalman was previously employed by Kennametal, Inc., a publicly-traded corporation providing metal cutting and wear-protection solutions to various industries, since 2004, most recently serving as Vice President – Advanced Material Solutions since 2016 and Vice President – Transformation Office since 2019. Prior to his most recent assignments, Mr. Thalman served in roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President – Finance Infrastructure, Director of Finance – M&A and Planning, Director of Finance – Kennametal Europe, and Assistant Corporate Controller. Prior to Kennametal, Mr. Thalman held positions where he had responsibility for treasury, investor relations, and financial reporting. Early in his career, he worked in public accounting at Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers). Mr. Thalman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from West Virginia University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh.


     William Treacy

         EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER
         

 

Mr. Treacy was appointed Vice President and Chief Growth Officer in 2021, having previously served as Vice President, Infrastructure Solutions, and Vice President, Tubular & Energy Services. He has also held leadership positions in L.B. Foster’s Rail Business segment guiding manufacturing and product engineering as well as general management responsibilities for various rail divisions. In 2023, Mr. Treacy was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer.


     Bob Ness

         VICE PRESIDENT, PRECAST PRODUCTS
         

 

Mr. Ness was promoted to Vice President, Precast Products in 2021, having previously served as Director, Ops CXT Precast since June 16, 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Ness served as the Rail Business Controller beginning in 2021 after being promoted from his Division Controller role that he had held since 2006. 


     Brian Friedman

         VICE PRESIDENT, FABRICATED STEEL PRODUCTS & MEASUREMENT
         

 

Mr. Friedman serves as Vice President - Fabricated Steel Products & Measurement. Mr. Friedman joined the company in May of 2019 to lead L.B. Foster's Protective Coatings business and has since provided sales and operations leadership for an expanding portion of L.B. Foster's infrastructure focused businesses. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Friedman worked at ABB, a Swiss global infrastructure technology company, from 2012 to 2019 in commercial and operations leadership roles. These included several years as the Director of Global Product Management, with leadership responsibilty for a large portion of ABB's wire and cable management solutions portfolio. Mr. Friedman also previously worked at Hunter Fan Company in R&D, engineering management, and operations. Mr. Friedman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi. 

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