A new president and chief executive officer has been named at Pittsburgh-based Matthews International Corp., a global industrial and manufacturing company.
The company announced Aug. 11 that its Board of Directors appointed Michael Whitehead to succeed Joseph Bartolacci, who is retiring following more than two decades of leadership at Matthews International.
“I am honored to have been selected as president and chief executive officer of Matthews International and grateful for the board’s confidence,” Whitehead said. “Matthews has built a strong reputation through innovation, trusted customer relationships, and the dedication of its employees around the world.
“I look forward to working closely with the board and our global team to sharpen our strategic focus, strengthen execution, and create sustainable long-term value for our shareholders,” he added.
Whitehead is “a proven industrial technology executive with a distinguished record of driving innovation, operational excellence, and profitable growth across global manufacturing businesses,” according to the company’s statement.
He joins Matthews from Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc., a global leader in advanced manufacturing, automation, and industrial technology solutions, where he most recently served as executive vice president and president at Americas Welding, leading Lincoln Electric’s largest and most profitable business, representing more than $2.5 billion in annual revenue.
An electrical engineer and patent attorney, Whitehead joined Lincoln Electric in 2005 as chief counsel of intellectual property and quickly ascended within the organization, holding a series of increasingly significant strategic and operational leadership positions.
Most notably, Whitehead served as president of global automation, cutting and additive solutions from 2019 through 2025, where he more than doubled the business to more than $1 billion in revenue, helping establish Lincoln Electric as a global leader in automation and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Previously, Whitehead held various leadership roles as senior vice president of strategy and business development, president of Lincoln Electric Canada, and R&D leader. He earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University and a juris doctor degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law.