Effective Aug. 1, Tom Linebarger will end his term as Cummins, Inc. CEO and Jennifer Rumsey, president, and COO, will assume the role of president and CEO.
Rumsey will be the seventh CEO and first woman to lead the company since it was founded in 1919. Linebarger will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors.
Linebarger will retain an executive chairman role, working directly with Rumsey on specific initiatives including the completion of the company’s pending acquisition of Meritor, a supplier of drivetrain, mobility and braking solutions.
“She has been my partner in developing the Destination Zero strategy, which sets forth how the decarbonization of our industry will be a significant growth opportunity for Cummins. Her background as an engineer and technology expertise provides her a deep understanding of the major technical changes taking place and how to capitalize on them,” Linebarger said.
Since taking on the COO role in March 2021, Rumsey oversaw Cummins’ global operations. In February 2022, she was elected to the Cummins Board of Directors, and she will maintain her seat on the board.
“I am honored and proud to be appointed the next Cummins CEO and excited about what the future holds for the company,” Rumsey said. “Growing up in Columbus, Indiana, where Cummins was founded, and spending most of my career here makes this announcement incredibly meaningful. I am grateful to Tom for his support and mentorship over the years and to the board for their confidence in my leadership.”
Rumsey began her Cummins career working in research and technology, primarily focused on advancing technology to reduce diesel engine criteria pollutants. Since then, she has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility and impact, including bringing new platforms and technologies to the market, driving improvements in product quality, and developing the capability of global teams, Cummins said.
“Jen uniquely understands our customers and business, having worked in many different parts of the business during her more than 20-year career, and in every role, she has consistently delivered results,” Linebarger said. “Most recently, she led our global operations as COO during one of the most challenging periods in our history, delivering record revenues and dramatically improving product quality and our market position while addressing unprecedented supply chain constraints. Most importantly, Jen is a principled leader who cares deeply about our stakeholders. We share a common vision for Cummins, and I am confident that Jen will lead Cummins into an even more prosperous future.”
Rumsey was components president, where she oversaw a global portfolio of business units; chief technical officer, where she led strategic investments in key technologies and applications to transition to lower carbon emissions products. Prior to Cummins, Rumsey worked for a fuel cell technology company.
“My technical background, business experience and focus on people, purpose, and impact have prepared me for this moment,” Rumsey said. “At Cummins, we build solutions that serve our customers’ needs and better our planet both now and in the future. At a time when technology is evolving more rapidly than at any point in our history, we must emphasize the critical role people play in our collective success. By putting people at the center of everything we do, we will power the path to decarbonization and advance our mission of powering a more prosperous world.”
Rumsey has been deeply engaged with some of the company’s most important original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners, Cummins said.
“On behalf of the Cummins board, I want to thank Tom for his three decades at the company, including the last 15 years where he served first in the COO role and then as CEO. His leadership has grown Cummins’ global business, positioned the company to lead in zero- and low-carbon solutions, and developed a highly capable and diverse management team to lead us through the technology transition,” said Tom Lynch, Cummins lead director. “We look forward to his continued contributions as executive chairman. During our long-term strategic planning, the board had the opportunity to see Jen lead on key business initiatives and co-author the Destination Zero strategy with Tom. Jen is the ideal choice to lead Cummins into its next chapter, and we are confident that Jen will drive continued success for our business and customers.”
Rumsey is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, the Purdue Engineering Advisory Council and Women in Trucking Association. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
