Wauwatosa-based Briggs & Stratton has named
Kristina Cerniglia as its new senior vice president and chief financial officer.
Cerniglia was most recently CFO of Indiana-based Hillenbrand, a global diversified industrial company that makes compounding, extrusion, and material handling, screening and separating equipment and systems, injection molding and extrusion equipment, and burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns for the death care industry.
Hillenbrand announced Cerniglia’s departure in March and announced the hiring of Robert VanHimbergen as its next CFO. VanHimbergen was previously vice president and corporate controller at Johnson Controls.
Prior to Hillenbrand, Cerniglia spent 23 years in the financial organizations at Stanley Black & Decker and United Technologies.
"Kristina has demonstrated that she is a transformational leader with the ability to influence results across an entire enterprise," said Steve Andrews, President & CEO at Briggs & Stratton. "As Briggs & Stratton continues to transform and grow, her extensive background and strong leadership capabilities will drive continuous improvement. I look forward to the experience and fresh perspectives Kristina will bring to the organization."
Cerniglia replaces Mark Schwertfeger, who had been CFO at Briggs since 2015 and with the company since 2008.
The CFO transition continues the remaking of Briggs leadership following its 2020 sale out of bankruptcy to KPS Capital Partners. Since then, the company has named Andrews as CEO and hired David Dooley, vice president and general manager of the company's Allmand business; Chris Mapes, senior vice president of supply chain, Brian Hazelton, senior vice president and president of the company's power business, and Michelle Kumbier, senior vice president and president of the company's turf and consumer products business as direct reports to Andrews.
