April 7, 2022: Battery separator manufacturer Hollingsworth & Vose announced on April 5 that COO Josh Ayer (left) had been chosen to succeed Val Hollingsworth (right) as the company’s CEO.

Hollingsworth is stepping down after 24 years in the post — and after more than 40 years with the company — but will continue as chair of H&V’s board.

Ayer joined H&V in 2009 as vice president and managing director for the Asia Pacific region, following 10 years at General Electric.

In 2015, Ayer became president of the engine and industrial filtration division, taking on the position of vice president and managing director of H&V’s Americas region in 2020.

Val Hollingsworth is a sixth-generation member of the Hollingsworth family. He first joined the company in 1976, working as a night shift supervisor and a production and plant manager.

Hollingsworth became president in 1997 and CEO in the following year. During this time, H&V expanded from a mainly regional US business into a global company with 13 R&D and manufacturing facilities across three continents.

“We are delighted to be able to turn to Josh to lead H&V in our next chapter of growth and development,” Hollingsworth said.

“He has been an outstanding leader in his years at H&V and will do a great job as CEO. H&V has had several non-Hollingsworth family CEOs in its long history, and we are proud that there are seventh-generation members of our family working for H&V.”