Leadership

Neil M. Ashe has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Acuity Brands since February 2020. Prior to joining Acuity Brands, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Faster Horses LLC from February 2017 to December 2019; as President and Chief Executive Officer of Global eCommerce & Technology at Walmart, Inc. from January 2012 through January 2017, as President of CBS Interactive from July 2008 through July 2011; and as Chief Executive Officer of CNET Networks, Inc. from 2006 to 2008. He received a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University and has an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Mr. Ashe serves on the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) Board of Directors.

Karen Holcom, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has more than 30 years of financial experience. Karen’s been with Acuity Brands since its inception in 2001 and leads the company's financial strategy and investor relations. Karen works closely with the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer to help the company achieve its bold growth ambitions. Her expertise and insight play a pivotal role in the realization of Acuity's vision, including guiding the company's capital allocation strategy to drive long-term value creation.

As part of her passion for DEI in the workplace, she serves as the Executive Sponsor of Acuity's Women's Network Employee Resource Group.

Before Acuity Brands, Karen served as Director, Planning and Analysis, National Service Industries, Inc. (NSI) (1998-2001).

She serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Karen is a Certified Public Accountant.

She earned a BS degree in Accounting from Clemson University and an MBA from Georgia State University.

Barry Goldman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, has 30 years of legal experience in the real estate, lighting, and building management industries. Barry’s been with Acuity Brands since its inception in 2001 and is a trusted legal strategist for the company, supporting all legal and transactional matters of Acuity's operations, including acquisitions, strategic alliances, government relations, and risk reduction activities globally.

Barry is passionate about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and created EarthLIGHT, Acuity’s comprehensive approach to ESG.

Before Acuity Brands, Barry served as General Counsel for National Service Industries Inc. (NSI) (1998-2001).

Barry is on the Board of Directors at Southface Institute, the McClung Lighting Research Foundation, and the National Association of Manufacturers.

He earned a BA degree with Special Honors in Philosophy from The University of Texas at Austin and JD and MBA degrees from the University of Georgia.

Dianne Mills, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, has over 30 years of senior HR leadership experience at global retail, technology, and financial services companies. Dianne is a transformational leader, passionate about driving business results by reimaging the corporate workplace through a values-driven, inclusive culture. She joined Acuity in 2020 and is establishing Acuity Brands as the place where the best people come to do their best work. In addition, she is driving a differentiated associate experience, improving performance by developing every associate to their potential, and creating a people function to support the company's future growth.

Before joining Acuity Brands, Dianne served as a Principal at Mills Consulting (2017-2019), SVP and Chief People Officer for Walmart's eCommerce Division (2014-2017), and Head of HR for PayPal (2009-2014).

Dianne earned a BS in Finance from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.

Tyler Moon, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, has over 20 years of manufacturing and operations experience. He joined Acuity in 2007. During his tenure at Acuity Brands, Tyler led Acuity's transformation to lean manufacturing and is currently transitioning the supply chain to a digital model.

Before joining Acuity Brands, Tyler worked for the Danaher Corporation for seventeen years, starting as a manufacturing engineer, and worked in various roles with growing responsibilities reaching Director, Danaher Business System, Danaher Corporation (1990-2007).

Tyler is involved with several non-profit organizations whose missions are to create mentorships in underdeveloped areas to provide children with the support and encouragement they need to thrive. He is currently supporting Champions United, Light House Association, Fellowship Adventures, and Compassionate International.

He earned a BSME from Clemson University.

Candace Steele Flippin, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, has over 20 years of experience in global communications and brand transformation in the biotech, financial services, and medical device industries. She joined Acuity in 2020 and leads the company's global communications strategy, including corporate communications, media relations, reputation, and brand management. In addition, Candace is passionate about creating pathways for inclusion and serves as the executive sponsor of Acuity's PRIDE Employee Resource Group.

Before joining Acuity Brands, Candace served as Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, First Horizon National Corporation (2018-2020), Divisional Vice President, Public Affairs, Abbott Laboratories (2017-2018), and Vice President, Global External Communications, St. Jude Medical (2014-2017).

In 2016, Candace was appointed as an engaged scholar in the Weatherhead School of Management community at Case Western Reserve University. She is a workplace scholar and author. Her research focuses on practical methods to accelerate the leadership development of women, Gen X, Gen Z, and millennials in the workplace.

Candace is on the Board of Directors of The Woodruff Arts Center and Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. She also serves on the Advisory Board of CulTRUE.

She earned a BA from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University.

Trevor Palmer, President, Acuity Brands Lighting and Controls Business, has over 25 years of experience in the building technology industry. He joined Acuity in 2015 with the acquisition of Distech Controls ® and has positioned Acuity Brands Lighting (ABL) as an industry leader in lighting and controls. Trevor is an innovator at heart and is elevating the customer experience while driving product vitality. In addition, he guides ABL's strategic development, market expansion, and product line diversification.

Before joining Acuity Brands, Trevor served as Managing Director for Sontay Limited (2009-2014).

Trevor is on the Board of Governors of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). He is a former Board Member of BACnet International and LonMARK International.

Peter Han, President, Intelligent Spaces Group (ISG), has a track record of driving revenue growth and organizational change for over 25 years across the technology industry. Focused on making spaces smarter, safer, and greener, he joined Acuity in 2021 and leads product, engineering, marketing, sales, and customer-service teams which deliver hardware and software solutions across multiple industry verticals. Peter’s ISG team includes the Distech Controls® and Atrius brands, with teams based in Atlanta, Montreal, Lyon, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Before joining Acuity Brands, Peter co-founded and served as Partner of Rockpile Ventures, an Edge AI accelerator (2019-2021), Chief Marketing Officer at Supermicro, NASDAQ: SMCI (2018-2019), and Vice President, Partner Devices and Solutions at Microsoft, NASDAQ: MSFT (2016-2018).

A writer and visual storyteller, Peter published a book with Penguin, “Nobodies to Somebodies”, and produced two documentary movies early in his career.

Peter serves on the Tax Increment Financing Board for the city of Dallas, and the Board of Directors of Seattle United, a non-profit soccer club serving 2100 players in the Pacific Northwest. Previously, he served on the Community Economic Revitalization Board for Washington state, and as a Trustee for the Harvard Club of Seattle.

He earned an AB from Harvard University.

Sach Sankpal, Senior Vice President, Growth and Transformation, has over 25 years of experience in leading top-to-bottom turnarounds, accelerating digital transformation and innovation, and positioning global industrial technology organizations for future growth. He joined Acuity in 2022 and leads the technology organization, deploys the Company’s Better.Smarter.Faster. operating system, and directs integration efforts for Acuity mergers and acquisitions.

Before joining Acuity Brands, Sach served as President, Product and Solutions for Resideo (2020), Senior Vice President, Emerging Industries, Trimble (2015-2020), and President and VP/GM of Safety Products, and VP, Strategic Marketing at Honeywell (2010-2015).

He earned a BS from Rutgers University, an MS from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from Dartmouth.

Philippe Brzusczak, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy, has extensive experience in corporate finance and M&A execution with global organizations. He joined Acuity in 2022 to lead Corporate Development & Strategy with the responsibility of identifying and evaluating mergers and acquisitions (M&A) opportunities, conducting ongoing assessments of the industry and competitive landscape, and building strategic industry relationships that align with our strategy and goals. 

Before joining Acuity Brands, Philippe was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan's Investment Bank, where he focused on industrial companies. In this capacity, he was responsible for identifying, evaluating, and executing mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. He announced and executed more than $20B worth of M&A transactions, including some landmark deals in the industry. Before joining J.P. Morgan, he was a manager at Deloitte's Corporate Finance Advisory in Luxembourg, where he led M&A, financial due diligence, and business valuation projects across Europe. Philippe brings the relevant deal execution expertise required as Acuity looks to expand and find opportunities to transform Acuity Brands into a leading global industrial technology enterprise. 

He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master and Bachelor degree in Business Engineering from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. He also studied at the National University of Singapore.