Mr Jones, the current president and chief operating officer (COO), will be succeeding Charles L. Szews (Charlie), who has decided to retire effective from 31 December 2015.
Mr Szews has been with the company since 1996, and served as the chief financial officer first before taking on the role of president and COO in 2007, and then CEO in 2011.
On Mr Szews’ retirement, Richard M. Donnelly, chairman of the company’s board of directors commented: “The board of directors is very grateful for the strong leadership demonstrated by Charlie Szews through the last five years as he led the company to successfully overcome significant US department of defense spending reductions and the lingering effects of the Great Recession.”
Mr Szews was likewise honoured to have been able to lead the company and employees in providing vehicles and equipment that make a difference in communities by saving lives and protecting people and property at work around the world.
The soon-to-be CEO, Mr Jones, has been with the company since 2005 and has served in his present position since 2012.
“We expect the transition of Wilson Jones to CEO to be seamless as Charlie and the Board have been preparing for this for several years. Wilson has been with the company for a decade, gaining greater leadership and business responsibilities, as well as successfully serving as president for two of Oshkosh’s business segments prior to his August 2012 appointment to president and COO,” said Mr Donnelly.
