# Vic Richey

> Vic Richey is a St. Louis industrial executive, former ESCO Technologies CEO and current Nordson board chair. A Western Kentucky University political science graduate and former Army military intelligence officer, he joined the ESCO business in 1985, became CEO in 2002 and completed his retirement from the company in June 2023. His tenure included the Doble Engineering acquisition, Aclara divestiture and a succession to Bryan Sayler. He also serves on CECO Environmental’s board following its 2026 Thermon acquisition.

- **Role:** Chair of the Board at Nordson Corporation; Director at CECO Environmental
- **Organizations:** Nordson Corporation, CECO Environmental, ESCO Technologies (former), Thermon Group Holdings (former), United States Army (former)
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts; political science, Western Kentucky University, Executive MBA, Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School
- **Known for:** Led ESCO as chief executive for approximately two decades., Oversaw portfolio changes including the Doble acquisition and Aclara sale., Served as WKU’s 2017 Hays Watkins Visiting CEO.

## Career timeline

- **1979-1985** — Served as a U.S. Army military intelligence officer.
- **1985** — Joined the industrial business that became ESCO; later worked in subsidiary and corporate marketing and general management.
- **2001** — Named ESCO president and chief operating officer.
- **2002** — Became ESCO chief executive.
- **2006** — Became ESCO board chairman.
- **2007** — ESCO completed its $319 million Doble Engineering acquisition.
- **2010** — Joined Nordson’s board.
- **2014** — ESCO sold Aclara, generating approximately $150 million in gross cash proceeds.
- **2017** — Returned to WKU as Hays Watkins Visiting CEO to discuss leadership lessons from the Army.
- **2022-12** — Retired as ESCO CEO and president effective December 31.
- **2023-01** — Became ESCO executive chairman as Bryan Sayler took over as CEO.
- **2023-06** — Retired from ESCO employment and its board effective June 30.
- **2023-12** — Joined Thermon’s board on December 6.
- **2024-03** — Became Nordson board chair.
- **2026-06** — Joined CECO Environmental’s board following its acquisition of Thermon.

## Achievements

- Led ESCO as chief executive for approximately two decades.
- Oversaw portfolio changes including the Doble acquisition and Aclara sale.
- Served as WKU’s 2017 Hays Watkins Visiting CEO.
- Became Nordson board chair in March 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Joined CECO Environmental’s board after the Thermon acquisition; CECO lists him on its audit committee.
- **2026-01** — Nordson’s 2026 proxy identifies him as board chair, a position held since March 2024.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-richey-4a331347

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vic-richey
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22