Kyle Chapman elected Barry-Wehmiller board chair

Kyle Chapman has been elected chairman of the board at Barry-Wehmiller. In this role, he succeeds his late father, Bob Chapman, who led the company for five decades.

Kyle Chapman has served as president of Barry-Wehmiller since 2020 and as CEO since 2025. His election to chairman builds upon the foundation established by his father and advances the organization’s commitment to redefining success in business by showing that 'it is possible to achieve extraordinary financial strength without compromising your commitment to people,' Chapman explained.

'Barry-Wehmiller is at an inflection point in its history,' said Kyle Chapman. 'We’re poised for incredible growth. And as we grow, as we redefine success in business, we're going to attract more talent, complete more acquisitions, develop more leaders and have more influence. People are going to want to adopt our methodology.'

After earning his Bachelor of Science in commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, Kyle Chapman’s career started at Banc of America Capital Investors, where he completed approximately 300 million USD in investments across various industries. In 2009, he co-founded BW Forsyth Partners – Barry-Wehmiller’s 850 million USD-plus hybrid equity firm. From 2015–2019, he served as a strategic financial advisor to Barry-Wehmiller’s leadership team, contributing to the company’s enhanced financial performance and facilitating a more deliberate approach to living its culture. In 2020, he was appointed Barry-Wehmiller’s interim chief financial officer before being named president later that year.

'In his 15-plus years at Barry-Wehmiller, Kyle has risen to every responsibility placed before him,' said Chet Walker, board member, Barry-Wehmiller. 'He does not simply carry his father's name. He carries his father's conviction, backed by a sharp and tested business mind of his own, and a clear-eyed understanding that our measure of success is not found on a balance sheet alone, but in the lives we touch and the trust we earn. This transition mirrors, in some ways, the one that shaped Bob himself. When Bob lost his father in 1976, he stepped forward and built something extraordinary. We believe Kyle will do the same – and we believe Bob knew it, too.'

Bob Chapman, who died earlier this year, led Barry-Wehmiller’s transformation from traditional management practices to Truly Human Leadership – a people-centric approach where Barry-Wehmiller team members feel valued, cared for and an integral part of the company’s purpose. His book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family, co-authored with Raj Sisodia, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller and, in 2025, was re-released in a revised and expanded edition.

In a blog post following Kyle’s appointment as CEO, Bob Chapman wrote, 'In Kyle, I see not only the future of Barry-Wehmiller but also the future of business itself – a future where leaders prioritize humanity as much as profitability, where care and compassion are as integral to decision-making as strategy and execution. As he steps fully into this role, I know that our legacy is secure, and I feel an immense sense of hope for what lies ahead.'

Kyle Chapman will lead a board of directors that includes Chet Walker, co-founder and senior advisor of BW Forsyth Partners; Brian Hotarek, former chairman of South Shore Health & Education Corp and South Shore Hospital; Pete Wallace, chairman of the board at Applied Industrial Technologies; John Stroup, partner of CD&R LLP; Tim Noonan, founder & CEO of Evertrak LLC; 
Tim Sullivan, former group president at Barry-Wehmiller; and Stacey Tank, former CEO of Bespoke Beauty Brands.