Barb is the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Enerpac Tool Group, a premier industrial tools and services company serving customers in more than 25 countries (Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa) with a headquarters in Menomonee Falls, WI. Before joining Enerpac, Barb was the Vice President and Treasurer of Komatsu Mining Corporation, who acquired Joy Global Inc. in 2017. In her role, she is responsible for the company’s global Treasury strategy and operations. Komatsu Mining Corp. is a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions. The company engages in other business, such as industrial machinery and vehicles, logistics, electronics and other solutions-based operations. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan, with locations worldwide. Barb’s treasury role focuses on financial risk management, such as minimizing foreign currency volatility, protecting the company’s cash assets, and pension management and de-risking strategies. Barb is was responsible for the company’s debt and capital structure as well as ensuring its operations have sufficient liquidity to run and grow its operations.
Barb formerly served as Quad/Graphics’ Assistant Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations from 2010 to 2011, joining the company after it had acquired a larger competitor and transitioned from a private to a public company. In her dual role, her responsibilities in treasury included globalizing treasury following the acquisition, working with the Treasurer to ensure the company had broad access to the capital markets and managing the company’s debt structure and bank relationships. She also had responsibility for global cash management and financial risk management.
Prior to Quad/Graphics, Barb spent nearly 24 years at Brady Corporation and was Vice president and Treasurer for Brady Corporation as well as Director of Investor Relations from 2004 to 2009 and was Assistant Treasurer from 1995 to 2004. As Treasurer, she was responsible for the development of the company’s global Treasury strategy throughout a period during which the company more than tripled its revenues through both organic growth and 33 acquisitions. During that time, the company’s international presence grew significantly to nearly 60% of total revenues. As Treasurer, she also led the Environmental Health & Safety and Legal and Corporate Structure functions.
Barb spent the first nine of her 23 years at Brady in a wide variety of positions in the sales and marketing organization such as customer service management, product management and new product development.
Barb serves on the Advisory Board of the Nicholas Center for Applied Corporate Finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s MBA School of Business and also serves on the Mt. Mary University Board of Trustees. In 2005, she was nominated by her company and received the Business Journal Women of Influence award in the Corporate Executive category. She is also a member of TEMPO – Milwaukee and Milwaukee Women Inc.
Barb holds a bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her Masters of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Finance from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.