Jennifer Rumsey speaks as the new president and CEO of Cummins Inc., during a press conference at the Cummins Corporate Office Building on Thursday.
Jennifer Rumsey will officially take the driver’s seat at Cummins Inc. on Aug. 1, a historic milestone for the Columbus region’s leading industry. She will be the first woman to lead the company in its 103-year history.
Rumsey, 48, has been making her way up the corporate ladder at Cummins for the past 22 years, and it’s particularly gratifying that the successor to outgoing CEO Tom Linebarger rises to the top spot exactly 30 years after graduating from Columbus East High School. Rumsey, who still lives in her hometown, didn’t have to go far to come a long way.
“I promise you, when I grew up in Columbus, Indiana, I would have never imagined that I would be standing here today as the next CEO for Cummins,” Rumsey said Thursday, as The Republic’s Andy East reported. “… I’m incredibly honored and proud to serve as your next CEO.”
As Republic Editor Julie McClure reported, Linebarger “allowed that he’d been working on a succession plan since the first day he started at Cummins, part of his goal of leaving the company better as he left, something he described as part of the company’s DNA.
“Describing Rumsey’s technical expertise, business acumen and ability to get results, Linebarger said, ‘I knew Jen should be CEO before she knew.’”
For his part, Linebarger, 59, will still loom large at Cummins. He will serve as chairman of the board and executive chairman, working with Rumsey on “specific initiatives that position the company for continued success,” including the pending acquisition of Meritor Inc.
The destination before Rumsey is clear, yet uncharted territory. Cummins is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. That’s a mighty ambitious goal for any heavy industrial manufacturer, but it’s a monumental one for Cummins. Moving away from diesel is an inevitability, but navigating that transition will take an innovator, a visionary and an institutionalist at the helm.
These are Rumsey’s strengths. She has already made a difference in the position of chief technical officer, positioning the company for the ongoing drive toward electric and hydrogen drive systems. And she has the institutional experience, knowledge and support to steer the company where it must go to remain competitive in a fast-moving, dynamic market.
Further, Rumsey has been an inspiration and a role model for other women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers. Her two daughters are doing just that, with one, as her mom did, studying engineering at Purdue and the other planning to do the same.
“We’re living in a challenging period of time for our planet, for society, and it’s a really important time for Cummins,” Rumsey said. “Climate change is a real issue and increasingly we’re living in a society that is divided and dealing with change. I believe that this challenge period of time is the opportunity for us at Cummins to step up and shine.”
“I feel a tremendous responsibility and also excitement for what’s ahead for Cummins,” she said.
Columbus should be proud of, and for, Jennifer Rumsey.
