# Eric Sills

> Eric P. Sills is chairman, chief executive officer and president of Standard Motor Products, a publicly traded automotive parts manufacturer and distributor founded by his great-grandfather and a business partner in 1919. He joined full-time in 1991, worked through manufacturing and operations roles, became president in 2015, CEO in 2016 and chairman in 2023. His leadership combines family-business continuity with international expansion, sensor manufacturing investment and automotive aftermarket advocacy.

- **Role:** Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer & President at Standard Motor Products, Inc.
- **Organizations:** Standard Motor Products, Inc., Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers / formerly Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA)
- **Education:** BA, Bowdoin College, MBA, Columbia University, Advanced Management Program (executive education), Harvard Business School, AAP credential, AWDA University
- **Known for:** Appointed the fourth CEO in Standard Motor Products history in 2016., Board credited his operational leadership with integrating eight acquisitions in the three years preceding his 2015 promotion., Received NPW’s 2015 Person of the Year Award, reported in February 2016.

## Career timeline

- **1990** — Graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA.
- **1991** — Joined Standard Motor Products full-time; worked in quality assurance in 1991-1992.
- **1993** — Worked at three suppliers in Japan, studying manufacturing methods.
- **1994** — Became an industrial engineer at SMP.
- **1995** — Served as Coils Business Unit Manager.
- **1996-1998** — Worked in Puerto Rico in ignition business management and an implementation project.
- **1998** — Led the oxygen sensor business unit; moved a product line from Ohio to Wilson and staffed the receiving facility. Earned an MBA from Columbia.
- **2000-2002** — Director of Product Management, July 2000-August 2002.
- **2004** — Director of Headquarter Operations; led the BWD integration team following the Dana engine management acquisition.
- **2006-2013** — Vice President, Engine Management Division.
- **2013-2015** — Vice President, Global Operations.
- **2015** — Appointed president in February.
- **2016** — Became CEO and a director in March.
- **2017-2024** — Served on the AASA / MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Board of Governors.
- **2021** — Testified before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on October 14.
- **2022-2023** — Chaired the AASA / MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Board of Governors.
- **2023** — Inducted into the Federated Hall of Fame in March; became SMP chairman in May.
- **2024** — SMP completed the Nissens Automotive acquisition on November 1.
- **2026** — Continues as SMP chairman, CEO and president; company announced a sensor manufacturing joint venture in Thailand.

## Achievements

- Appointed the fourth CEO in Standard Motor Products history in 2016.
- Board credited his operational leadership with integrating eight acquisitions in the three years preceding his 2015 promotion.
- Received NPW’s 2015 Person of the Year Award, reported in February 2016.
- Received the 2022 AASA Member Advocacy Award at AAPEX on November 2, 2022.
- Became a Federated Hall of Fame inductee in 2023; he and Larry Sills were its first father-and-son inductees.
- Led SMP as it completed the Nissens Automotive acquisition in November 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 9 SMP announced CFO Nathan Iles’s departure effective October 30 and appointed Jim Burke interim CFO from that date; Sills emphasized continuity of strategic priorities. Third-quarter results were scheduled for October 30, after this profile’s research date.
- **2026-08** — Sills discussed second-quarter results: GAAP net sales of $501.6 million and adjusted net sales of $526.7 million, excluding an accounting adjustment for tariff refunds.
- **2026-07** — SMP announced a 50/50 Techstrong sensor manufacturing joint venture in Thailand on July 6.
- **2026-06** — Sunil Bhandari became chief operations officer effective June 1, with Jim Burke moving to executive advisor.

## Links

- Website: https://www.smpcorp.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-sills-20161b125/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/eric-sills
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23