DES PLAINES, IL – Lawson Products, Inc., a leading provider of maintenance and repair solutions, announced today that it has appointed Bob Border to senior vice president, chief information officer (CIO) and Lawrence Krema to senior vice president, human resources, of its Illinois operating company effective Jan. 1, 2011.
“Working hand-in-hand with Lawson’s senior management team, Border and Krema have been integral to developing and executing the company’s long-term growth strategy, as well as advancing current operational initiatives,” said Harry Dochelli, chief operating officer at Lawson Products. “We’ll leverage their leadership, strengths and expertise as we continue to grow the company and invest in our employees and information technology infrastructure.”
As senior vice president, CIO, Border will oversee Lawson Product’s information technology organization, which includes application development, infrastructure, eCommerce and enterprise information management. His primary responsibility involves creating a sustainable competitive advantage for the company by aligning business and technology strategies and partnering with stakeholders to identify technology solutions that deliver value and achieve business results.
In his new role, Krema will work closely with the senior leadership team to align human resources priorities, programs and investments with the company strategy. One of his primary responsibilities is to oversee Lawson Product's corporate communication and change management process, which involves effectively managing all business and organizational changes underway to improve performance.
Border, age 47, brings more than 25 years of technology experience in various industries, including energy, consumer products, manufacturing and distribution. Additionally, he has extensive experience in ERP initiatives, specifically SAP, along with strong experiences in IT governance, data governance and business process re-engineering. Before joining Lawson Products in September 2009, Border was the managing director of information technology for Edison Mission Group, where he was responsible for the company’s enterprise information management and establishing an IT governance framework. Prior to that, Border was the chief information and technology officer for Merisant Company, a global manufacturer and marketer of Equal sweetener. He earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in applied computer science from Illinois State University.
Krema, age 50, brings more than 20 years of human resources experience in areas, including strategy, leadership development, change management and board involvement. Before joining Lawson Products in August 2010, Krema served as the interim president and CEO for The Anixter Center, a $30 million provider of high-quality programs, services and social enterprise businesses for individuals with disabilities. Previously, Krema was a senior vice president for Hub International and executive vice president for Equity Office Properties. While at Equity Office Properties, Krema was responsible for all human capital practices and programs including talent management, recruitment and selection internal and executive communications, payroll, organizational learning and employee development and compensation and benefits. He earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from St. Mary’s University.
