Whelen Announces Strategic Leadership Updates

Whelen is excited to announce that Geoff Marsh, former COO, has been named the company’s President and CEO, and former President and CEO George W Whelen V has been named Executive Vice President and has been elected to Whelen’s Board of Directors.

Whelen has had a big vision from the very beginning. Our perseverance, commitment to solving our customers’ problems, and working with the most talented people have allowed us to come further than we ever imagined 68 years ago. We are proud of everything we have done to enhance first responder and motorist safety.

Continuing to innovate and move our industry forward requires strategic planning. Whelen has been rolling out a carefully developed plan to ensure we are positioned to continue leading the industry for generations to come.

This significant realignment in Whelen’s leadership will enable the company to innovate with greater speed, efficiency, and capability in an ever-changing world.

Geoff Marsh – 26 Years of Engineering Excellence

“It is with great pride that I announce the promotion of my friend and longtime colleague Geoff Marsh to CEO of Whelen,” said George Whelen on Tuesday. “Geoff has been with Whelen for much of our growth and has been a key player in shaping the organization that we are today. His business acumen, market understanding, practicality, and problem-solving abilities will ensure that we continue to provide our customers with quality, high-performing, innovative products.”

Geoff has been a key member of Whelen’s expansive growth for 26 years – developing products such as ION™ and Pioneer™ lightheads and the iconic Liberty™ lightbar. He was also at the forefront of Whelen’s CenCom® control system development. He started as an entry-level mechanical engineer and has worked his way through the ranks to his most recent assignment of Chief Operating Officer.

As COO, Geoff was responsible for all of Whelen’s production, manufacturing, and supply chain management. Previously, he led Whelen’s Engineering team and played a key role in the continued development of advanced engineering processes, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly competitive and demanding market.

“We have complete confidence that Geoff is the right person to be our next CEO,” said Sonny Whelen. “Geoff’s 26 years of service to Whelen have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.”

Our commitment to vertically integrated manufacturing is the foundation to Whelen’s success, and under Geoff’s leadership, operational, engineering, and manufacturing excellence will continue to be at the core of our business.

George Whelen – Leading Long-Term Innovation and Creativity

As Executive Vice President, George will be focusing fully on developing transformational projects to ensure Whelen stays at the forefront of innovative product development. George will continue to serve Whelen with his unique insights, creativity, and inspiration while being able to focus on strategic initiatives for long term growth – designed to propel Whelen forward.

“Continuing to remain the market leader will require us to consistently develop new innovations, new relationships, and new business practices. I will have a very active role in our business, focusing on longer-term and strategic projects that will build on our key strengths and deliver future growth. I have a great passion for this work,” George said.

“George’s extraordinary vision and leadership have guided Whelen to its position as the world’s most innovative emergency warning company,” said Sonny. “George has made countless contributions to Whelen’s success – most notably in our software development initiatives and revolutionary connected control systems.”

A Powerful Realignment

This leadership structure will enable Whelen to drive future success by nurturing our current strengths while simultaneously developing new capabilities. This combination of stability and creativity ensures that Whelen will lead the market for generations.

We are thrilled to celebrate how far we have come and where our bright future will take us – all while living up to George Whelen III’s strong values that started it all.