Milwaukee-based Briggs & Stratton appointed Kristina Cerniglia as its new CEO. Cerniglia has served as CFO for two years.
In August 2023, Joe Liotine had been named CEO of Briggs & Stratton, but he left the role after six months, according to media reports.
"Kristina has the full support, confidence and trust of the board. Kristina possesses the leadership skills and experience needed to accelerate the company's growth strategy and position Briggs & Stratton to achieve its full potential," said Michael Psaros, chairman of Briggs & Stratton's board of directors. "The company's progress during Kristina's initial tenure as CEO across every single metric is impressive. She will continue to execute the company vision and mission to deliver profitable growth."
Cerniglia brings more than 30 years of experience leading organizations in the manufacturing industry. She was elevated to interim CEO in February 2024. Cerniglia has made significant contributions to Briggs & Stratton and will continue to focus on execution and growth, driving rapid improvements in performance to better serve customers, according to the company. Prior to Briggs & Stratton, Cerniglia was the CFO and senior vice president with Hillenbrand, Inc., after spending more than 23 years in various financial leadership roles with Stanley Black & Decker and United Technology Corp.
"I am honored and humbled to step into the role of CEO at Briggs & Stratton," Cerniglia said. "Our organization has a legacy of over 116 years of success because of its innovative and passionate employees. My colleagues inspire me. Alongside my executive team, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge products and best-in-class service to our customers. I look forward to leading our next growth phase and expanding our mission and purpose to serve our customers, employees, partners and communities."
