Cummins has announced Tony Satterthwaite is being named vice chairman and Jennifer Rumsey will succeed Satterthwaite as president and chief operating officer, effective March 1.

Rumsey’s promotion is particularly significant in that she is the first woman ever named president and chief operating officer for Cummins, company officials said.

“Technology is evolving more rapidly now than at any other time in history and Jen’s extensive technical experience and leadership make her ideal for the role of president and chief operating officer,” said Linebarger. “Jen has served in a variety of business and technical leadership positions at Cummins and has been incredibly successful in every role. She has been instrumental in developing some of the most important products and technologies Cummins has created.”

In 2016, Rumsey was named Cummins’ first female chief technical officer and was then among just a few women who had risen to the highest levels in the Cummins hierarchy. She is also homegrown talent, graduating from Columbus East High School in 1992 and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1996. She then earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1998.

She gravitated toward math and science while in school, with family and teachers suggesting that she should consider engineering as a career. “My father is a mechanical engineer, and I was in Columbus — so there were a lot of engineering role models around me,” she said.

When she went to Purdue, she wasn’t sure she would stay in a technical career — instead looking at engineering as a great education that could lead to many different professional opportunities.

“And then because I worked at Cummins as an intern when I was going to school at Purdue, I actually got to see what an engineer does. And I realized it was a pretty interesting profession.”

In an interview then, Rumsey said she didn’t see herself as a pioneer as far as being a woman in a high-level position for an international company because there were so many women before her that broke down a lot of the barriers, she said.

“Yes, I’m the first one who has risen to this position (at the time technical officer), but I did have other female role models fortunately,” she said. “And so I do think that I am clearly a role model to continue to increase the number of women in engineering at Cummins and I hope even outside of Cummins.

Rumsey joined Cummins in 2000 in controls and has held a variety of leadership roles over the course of her career, including roles in advanced engineering, product development, and quality. She has served as the vice president of engineering for the Engine Business, chief technical officer for Cummins, and most recently as the company’s president of the Components business.

“Jen leads with high integrity and she is a tireless advocate of Cummins’ mission and values around the world. From science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) advocacy to the advancement of women to strengthening emissions standards around the world, Jen has dedicated her career to making a positive difference for our employees, customers and the environment,” said Linebarger. “I am looking forward to working with her to power a more prosperous world in the years ahead.”

Prior to joining Cummins, Rumsey worked on fuel cell development with Nuvera Fuel Cells. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rumsey serves on the board of directors for Hillenbrand, Inc. and is a member of the Purdue College of Engineering Advisory Council. Rumsey resides with her family in Columbus.

Rumsey will take Satterthwaite’s job as he moves to the vice chairman position.

“I am thrilled to have Tony join the chairman’s office and confident he’s the right leader for this role, given the significant opportunities in front of us,” said Tom Linebarger, Cummins chairman and CEO. “Tony understands our business at all levels and has a truly global view, having lived for extensive periods in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. He’s a well-respected leader, strategist, mentor and thinker and an asset to our company.”

 

Satterthwaite joined Cummins in 1988 and began in product planning and sales.

Over the course of his career, he has held leadership positions across the company’s global businesses and operations, including serving as president of Power Generation, president of the Distribution Business and most recently as president and chief operating officer.

Prior to joining Cummins, Satterthwaite was an engineer with Schlumberger. He earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Stanford University. Satterthwaite serves in leadership positions on several public company and not-for-profit boards, including IDEX Corp., the National Association of Manufacturers and the Cornell Engineering College Advisory Council. Satterthwaite resides with his wife in Indianapolis.