People on the Move to Rexel, Mersen, and World Electric

Last week a couple of major personnel announcements were made including Stephen Wyckoff leaving USESI’s Lade Electric Supply to become SVP & President, Southeast Region, for Rexel, Mersen announcing that Desiree Grace, formerly of River Heights Consulting and most recently CEMBRE, is now its VP Sales and Customer Care, Americas and World Electric, a Sonepar operating company, promoting Brandon Cox to VP Sales.

Rexel

After recently announcing two significant technology enablers – the launch of a contractor portal powered by Parspec and implementation of an AI-powered PO automation process supported by Revalgo that, if comparable to other platforms, projects to improve inside sales productivity by a minimum of 30%, is strengthening its management team.

Press release

“Rexel USA has appointed Stephen Wyckoff as Senior Vice President and Region President for the Southeast Region which includes Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Stephen brings a wealth of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence in the electrical distribution industry.

Stephen re-joins Rexel USA following a successful tenure as President of Lade Electric Supply and Danlar Lighting (US Electrical Services Inc.), where he led transformative initiatives, enhanced profitability, and expanded market reach. Earlier in his career, Stephen held key roles at Rexel USA/Gexpro and Fastenal, further establishing his expertise in advancing digital innovation and delivering outstanding business results.

“We are thrilled to welcome Stephen back to Rexel USA,” said Roger Little, Rexel USA CEO. “His strategic vision and leadership will be instrumental in accelerating growth and strengthening our presence in the Southeast Region.”

Mersen

Mersen announced that Desiree Grace is joining the company as VP Sales and Customer Care, Americas.

According to their press release:

“Mersen is pleased to announce that, Desiree Grace joined Mersen Electrical Power as Vice President Sales and Customer Care, Americas. She will report to Ferran Sacrest, Vice President, Global Sales and Customer Care.

Desiree brings 30+ years of broad experience in the Americas electrical & datacom industries. She started her career at WESCO, where she held various positions of increasing responsibility to eventually become branch manager. She has held sales leadership roles at large US manufacturers (Panduit, Eaton) as well as executive positions at mid-size European manufacturers with a strong presence in the US market (Flex Wind, CEMBRE, Anamet). In her last role as the General Manager of Flex Wind, she led their entry to the North American market through an acquisition and managed its subsequent integration. In parallel, she has been a part-time consultant at River Heights Consulting, an adjunct faculty member at her alma mater, Augustana College, and a regular contributor to well-known publications in the US electrical industry. Desiree was the recipient of the 2017 NAED Trailblazer Award.

Her international and M&A experience, business acumen, and understanding of the distribution & rep ecosystems as well as the direct OEM sales model make her the ideal candidate to help Mersen’s sales and customer care team in the Americas navigate today’s challenges and opportunities.”

World Electric

World Electric, a Sonepar operating company focused on the Southeast, made two announcements.

Brandon Cox was named VP of Sales. Previously he was VP Sales for the West and Central Regions of World Electric. He has been with the company for 25 years, having started in the warehouse as a “warehouse specialist” and then progressed to counter sales, inside sales, outside sales and branch manager. A true “grounds up” success story.

At the same time, according to an article in Electrical Wholesaling, “World Electric/Sonepar, Jacksonville, FL, announced plans to open a 150,000-sq-ft regional distribution center (RDC) in Atlanta, GA. The facility, together with the company’s recently opened regional distribution center in Hialeah Gardens, FL, and more than 20 branches, will allow World to offer faster deliveries, more specialized services and an expanded offering for vertical markets including solar, EV charging and the Department of Transportation (DOT).

The Atlanta RDC will offer customers value-added services, including colored and paralleled wire cutting, fixture carts and material carts, Pro Logistic Services for project storage and staging and the option for onsite staff to manage material at customers’ jobsites. The facility is expected to open in 2025 and will be located at 460 Horizon Drive in Suwanee, GA.”

This is a major investment into Georgia, where World already has three locations, and is an indication of aggressive growth goals for this market, which may be organic or include acquisitions to leverage the RDC investment.