Briggs & Stratton Appoints New CEO

Kristina Cerniglia is officially the new CEO of Milwaukee-based engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton. Cerniglia was appointed interim CEO earlier this year when former CEO Joe Liotine left the company after five months at the helm.

Prior to Briggs & Stratton, Cerniglia was chief financial officer and senior vice president with processing equipment provider Hillenbrand Inc. Cerniglia also spent over two decades in various financial leadership roles with industrial tool manufacturer Stanley Black & Decker and manufacturing conglomerate United Technology Corporation.

Cerniglia had served as Briggs & Stratton’s CFO for almost two years when she became interim CEO.

“Kristina has the full support, confidence and trust of the Board. Kristina possesses the leadership skills and experience needed to accelerate the company’s growth strategy and position Briggs & Stratton to achieve its full potential. The company’s progress during Kristina’s initial tenure as CEO across every single metric is impressive. She will continue to execute the company vision and mission to deliver profitable growth,” said Michael Psaros, chairman of Briggs & Stratton’s Board of Directors.

Cerniglia is the third CEO Briggs has seen in less than four years. Before Liotine’s arrival last year, Steve Andrews (previously with off-highway equipment manufacturer International Equipment Solutions) had served as CEO from November 2020 to July 2023 when he stepped down for personal reasons, according to media reports. (Note: placing quotes around a phrase in this context connotes skepticism. If that’s the case, keep them. If not it’s best to remove the quotes.)

Andrews’ arrival in 2020 followed Briggs & Stratton’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by private equity firm KPS Capital Partners.