Parent company, Avnet, has introduced Chris Breslin, currently senior vice president for global products at Premier Farnell as McBeth’s replacement at its Investor Day held last week in New York. Breslin will report to Pete Bartolotta, chief transformation officer at Avnet, as he leads the Premier Farnell business and continues to drive synergies with the Avnet organisation.
McBeth took the helm at Premier Farnell when the business was acquired by Avnet in 2016 and succeeded in delivering double-digit growth and profitability under his leadership.
Commenting on Breslin’s appointment, Bartolotta said “As Avnet and Premier Farnell continue to deliver on Avnet’s end-to-end ecosystem strategy, the strength of our senior leadership team remains one of our greatest assets. Chris Breslin brings the experience, knowledge of the business and leadership style that will help Premier Farnell continue to grow.”
Breslin joined Premier Farnell in July of 2014 as chief product officer, and during his tenure, globalised Premier Farnell’s asset and product organisation adding several dozen new suppliers.
Prior to Premier Farnell, Breslin spent five years as the chief operating officer for Crescent Electric Supply Company, one of the largest electrical wholesalers in North America. Breslin has more than 14 years in the industry in various management positions.
Breslin will assume the new position immediately and McBeth will stay with Premier Farnell until the end of July, allowing time for a thorough handover between the leaders.
