Executive Leadership Team

William (“Bill”) C. Johnson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Welbilt, Inc. Before joining Welbilt, Mr. Johnson was Chief Executive Officer of Chart Industries, Inc., a global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment for the industrial gas, energy, and biomedical industries. From 2006 to 2016, he held various senior level positions at Dover Corporation, a leading global conglomerate manufacturer of industrial products. He served as Vice President of Dover Corporation and President and Chief Executive Officer of Dover Refrigeration and Food Equipment. Before that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Dover’s Hill Phoenix division, a leading designer and manufacturer of commercial refrigeration systems, and President and Chief Executive Officer of their Triton Systems division, a designer and manufacturer of ATMs. Earlier in his career, Mr. Johnson was President and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Corporation, a publicly traded manufacturer of oil refining, petrochemical and power equipment. He also served as Senior Vice President of ESAB Welding and Cutting Equipment, a manufacturer of welding, cutting, and steel industry scarfing equipment. From 1990 to 1999, he held various positions at ABB, a $35 billion manufacturer of electrification, robotics and motion, industrial automation, and power grid products. Mr. Johnson began his career as a Commissioned Officer and Nuclear Engineer in the United States Navy. He holds a B.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University and an M.B.A. from Rollins College.

Richard N. Caron is Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of Welbilt, Inc. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President Global Marketing and Innovation for Manitowoc Foodservice and as Manitowoc Foodservice’s Chief Technology Officer, a position that he has held since 2005 as a former Enodis employee. Caron was instrumental in the development and success of the Education and Technology Center. He has also led a variety of new product development initiatives, which have helped distinguish the company as a technology leader in the foodservice industry. Prior to Manitowoc/Enodis, Caron served as Chief Executive Officer for the Moseley Corporation in Franklin, Massachusetts. He also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TurboChef, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. Prior to that, Caron was Managing Director of the consumer products practice at Arthur D. Little (ADL) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During his 19-year affiliation with ADL, Caron led many consulting assignments involving technology, strategy, and product development. Caron holds several patents in the foodservice industry, including automated frying and rapid cooking systems. Caron is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering Practice.

Joel H. Horn is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Welbilt, Inc. Previously, Horn was Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Welbilt, Inc. Horn joined The Manitowoc Company, Inc. as Associate General Counsel and held that role until joining Manitowoc Foodservice during the spin-off from The Manitowoc Company. Prior to Manitowoc, Horn was Senior Counsel and General Counsel for Enodis, PLC. Earlier in his career, he was Associate General Counsel for Mitsubishi Power Systems, Inc. Horn earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Stockton University in New Jersey, and a JD law degree from New England Law in Boston, Massachusetts.

Daniel E. Kaltenbaugh, Jr. is Senior Vice President KitchenCare of Welbilt, Inc. In this role, he leads Welbilt’s global aftermarket business. Previously, Kaltenbaugh was Vice President, Aftermarket and Business Simplification from 2016 to 2020. Kaltenbaugh joined The Manitowoc Company, Inc. in 2014 as Vice President, Operations – Heavy Crane Crawler Division. Prior to Manitowoc, he was Director of Operations, Americas for Xylem, Inc. from 2012 to 2014. In addition, he held a variety operations leadership positions at Oshkosh, Inc. from 1995 to 2012. Kaltenbaugh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at Kent State University. He also received Nuclear Reactor Operations Certification from the United States Navy and served three tours aboard the USS George Bancroft a reactor operator.

Lee F. Wichlacz is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Americas, at Welbilt, Inc. He leads the company’s Americas product lines as well as its global manufacturing, supply chain and new product introduction teams. Prior to this role, Wichlacz served in multiple leadership roles, including Senior Vice President Canada Region and Managing Director, Cleveland, Garland and Lincoln; Senior Vice President Product Management and Engineering, and Managing Director, Manitowoc Ice; Senior Vice President Global Operations and Procurement; Vice President and General Manager, Manitowoc Ice; and Director of Engineering, Manitowoc Foodservice. Prior to joining The Manitowoc Company, Inc. in 2007, Wichlacz spent 21 years with the Healthcare Division of General Electric, where he began his career as a design engineer and progressed to various engineering and operations roles, including executive management. Wichlacz earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Marquette University, and has completed coursework toward an M.B.A. at Marquette University. He is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and holds several patents in both the healthcare and foodservice industries.