Carlisle Companies CEO to Be Honored as 2020 Executive of the Year

TEMPE, Ariz., Aug. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business announced today that D. Christian "Chris" Koch, chairman, president, and CEO of Carlisle Companies Incorporated, was awarded its Executive of the Year Award for 2020. The award honors exceptional global business leaders who have created and sustained superior organizational performance and whose presence exemplifies a model for future business leaders.

Koch is the 37th Executive of the Year chosen by the Dean's Council, a national group of prominent executives who advise the W. P. Carey School of Business. He joins top executives from leading companies such as American Airlines, U-Haul International, and the Coca-Cola Co. Koch has achieved exceptional results in his nearly five years as CEO of Carlisle, a Phoenix-based diversified manufacturer of engineered products comprised of 15,000 global employees in over 180 locations. He has presided over a period of revenue growth of more than 30% and launched a sustainability strategy that includes diversity and inclusion commitments to ensure pay equity and a minimum starting wage of $15 per hour at Carlisle's U.S.-based manufacturing locations. In recognition of his leadership, the W. P. Carey School will honor him on Friday, Aug. 21, and he will subsequently speak at a luncheon in his honor on Thursday, Oct. 22, which was rescheduled from April 2020.

"I'm thrilled to honor Chris Koch as this year's Executive of the Year," says W. P. Carey School of Business Dean Amy Hillman. "He's been tested in difficult times and continually proven the ability to successfully take on larger leadership responsibilities. We're proud of what he's been able to accomplish for our region and our state."

Koch was named CEO of Carlisle Companies in 2016 and chairman of the board of directors in 2020. Before that, he served as vice president for Asia-Pacific and then group president for three Carlisle segments: Carlisle Brake & Friction, and, before being divested, Carlisle Foodservice Products and Carlisle Transportation Products. Before joining Carlisle, Koch was the vice president and general manager of Asia Operations at Graco, Inc. He serves as a director on the boards of Toro, Headstrong, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and The School of Architecture at Taliesin. He is also on the Board of Overseers for the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and a trustee of Macalester College.

"I'm honored to be named Executive of the Year by Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business' Dean's Council," said Koch. "I'm also proud to be both a member of the Arizona business community and resident of Arizona. Carlisle moved to Arizona in 2016 to be closer to our manufacturing footprint and to leverage Arizona's pro-business environment, skilled workforce, and exceptional quality of life. We fully support the Greater Phoenix Economic Council's and Phoenix Chamber of Commerce's vision of transforming the Phoenix economy into an industrial and high-tech hub that will position Phoenix as a business leader nationally in the coming years, fully supported by ASU's world class engineering and technical infrastructure. And while it seems trivial to speak of a personal award while Arizona, the United States, and countries around the globe continue to face the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, I'm proud of our employees who have rallied around each other, our customers, and our communities, helping keep infection rates low and ensuring that we continue to provide products and services to many of the world's essential businesses."

Chris and his wife, Amy, have two sons, Christian and Nicolas. He is an avid golfer, skier, and hockey player.

About the W. P. Carey School of Business

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and distinguished faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students come from more than 100 countries, and alumni represent W. P. Carey in over 160 countries. Visit wpcarey.asu.edu.

About Carlisle Companies

Carlisle Companies is a diversified, global portfolio of niche brands and businesses that manufactures highly engineered products and solutions for its customers. Carlisle's markets include: commercial roofing, specialty polyurethane, architectural metal, aerospace, medical technologies, defense, transportation, industrial, protective coating, auto refinishing, agriculture, and construction. Carlisle's worldwide team of employees generated $4.8 billion in revenues in 2019.

For more information, media contacts:
Shay Moser, W. P. Carey School of Business
[email protected]
480-965-3963

SOURCE W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University