After 25 years of serving Safelite® Group, Doug Herron, executive vice president and chief financial officer, has announced his plans to retire at the end of 2017. Tim Spencer, who joined Safelite Group last year, has been named the company’s new CFO.
Since last summer, Spencer has been fully immersed in his onboarding plan; connecting with Safelite’s people, learning its culture and gaining insight into strategies, operations and opportunities for the continued growth of the business. As Spencer steps into his role, Herron will also transition into his final year with Safelite. During this time, he will lend his expertise and extensive business knowledge to leading strategic initiatives such as process reengineering and efficiency improvements for Safelite and its parent company, Belron®, to accelerate continued growth both nationally and globally.
A 2016 Business First of Columbus C-Suite Award honoree, Herron has had a long and successful career at Safelite after joining the company in 1992. During his career, he has provided leadership for numerous functions within the company, including finance, information technology, real estate, fleet, risk management, security, supply chain, and commercial sales. He has shepherded the business through significant changes, including surges of growth, recapitalizations, many mergers/acquisitions, and sale of the company to Belron in 2007. His history also includes 20 years with General Electric.
“In the 25-plus years I’ve known and worked with Doug, I’ve trusted his integrity, relied on his leadership and valued his absolute commitment to Safelite,” said Safelite Group President & CEO Tom Feeney. “These characteristics have made him one of the most respected senior leaders in our company. We thank him for his unwavering service. And while following in the footsteps of such an inspiring leader is no small task, we’re very pleased to welcome Tim as Doug’s successor to the Chief Financial Officer role. We know he is a great fit for the future direction of our company.”
Before joining Safelite Group, Spencer, who holds both British and New Zealand nationality, served as the head of group finance and regional director of finance at Belron and brings more than 20 years of industry experience. During his tenure, he has held a number of key roles including controller and head of tax, treasury and corporates. In addition, Spencer has served as trustee for the Belron World Conference Foundation since 2010. Spencer began his accounting and finance career with organizations such as Ernst & Young and Morgan Crucible Plc. He is British Chartered Accountant and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Chemistry from the University of Salford and the Ecole Superieure de Chimie in Lyon France. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Warwick Business School. He and his wife have settled in Powell, Ohio.
About Safelite® Group
Safelite® Group is a leading service organization reaching record-growth thanks to a People Powered, Customer Driven strategy. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the company, which has been in business since 1947, is comprised of three major business operations whose services include Safelite AutoGlass®, the largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services in the U.S.; Safelite®Solutions, a leading fleet and insurance claims management services; and Service AutoGlass®, a vehicle glass wholesale and distribution operation. The company employs nearly 14,000 people throughout the United States. For more information, visit Safelite.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Media Contact: Safelite Group PR Manager Melina Metzger, 614.210.9232, melina.metzger@safelite.com