Today EnerSys announced that Dave Shaffer has notified the Board of Directors of his intention to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer effective May 2025. As part of a planned succession, including a comprehensive search process, the Board has named Shawn O'Connell, President, Energy Systems Global, as successor and appointed him President and Chief Operating Officer effective immediately.
As a seasoned executive, Shawn has led global teams and spearheaded transformational initiatives across EnerSys, consistently demonstrating the ability to drive change and deliver growth and profitability. Navigating unprecedented events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, macroeconomic volatility, and shifting secular growth trends, Shawn has been a steady, resilient, and strategic leader.
As President, Energy Systems Global since November 2023, he has led a significant business transformation, including reshaping the go-to market and operational strategies and reducing annual costs by nearly $50 million. Previously, as President, Motive Power, Shawn introduced several transformative initiatives that delivered 20% operating earnings growth and 210 bps of margin expansion. Prior to joining EnerSys, Shawn O’Connell founded U.S. Energy Systems in 2003, a contracted reseller for EnerSys in the Western U.S. region. He also served in the armed forces as a member of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
“On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Dave for his visionary leadership and unwavering dedication throughout his more than eight years as CEO and nearly two decades with EnerSys,” said Paul Tufano, EnerSys Chair. “Under Dave’s leadership, EnerSys has transformed from a traditional lead-acid battery company with limited scale into a global leader in energy systems solutions” … “We thank him for his tireless commitment and leadership and wish him all the best in this next chapter.”
Mr. Tufano continued, “We are excited to welcome Shawn as the next leader of EnerSys. A highly respected and experienced member of our executive team, Shawn has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, deep industry expertise, and a clear strategic vision for the future.”
Dave Shaffer, EnerSys Chief Executive Officer commented, “I am thrilled that Shawn has been named EnerSys’ next CEO. His ethics and character, commitment to doing things the right way, and natural leadership capabilities have supported our customer and supplier relationships and added to our culture. He has successfully executed every challenge presented, and his deep understanding of our business and strategic vision makes him the ideal leader to build on our success. I look forward to working closely with Shawn over the next six months as we execute a smooth transition.”
For more information on this recent update, read our press release: https://bit.ly/40vYknS