In December, Jeff Birch was promoted to president and CEO of Setpoint Integrated Solutions, less than two years after joining the process control and automation firm as chief operating officer. The biggest challenge of the transition has been “trying to stay focused on a few priorities rather than the many opportunities in front of us,” he says. Prior to joining Setpoint, Birch lived in the Chicago area and worked as vice president of commercial finance for the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. While he misses the many friends he made in Chicago—and the pizza—the Baton Rouge native who grew up in Lafayette says he doesn’t miss “being so far from family and shoveling snow.” Outside of the office, Birch enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A with Birch. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
You were promoted to president and CEO of your company last December after having been with the company for less than two years. What’s been the most rewarding part of the transition and what has been the biggest challenge?
“The most rewarding part of the transition has been the way our 500-plus colleagues embraced the change. We are fortunate enough to have many colleagues with a lot of talent and tenure, and they have been through a lot of change over the last few years. Nonetheless, I received plenty support and commitment from day one as CEO. The biggest challenge has been trying to stay focused on a few priorities rather the many opportunities in front of us. We see market conditions improving in the industries we support, and that can lead to distractions if we don’t stay focused.”
