Lennox Fills Board Seat Vacated by Long-Standing Member With ChampionX CEO

North Texas-based Lennox International Inc. appointed Sivasankaran "Soma" Somasundaram, a veteran leader in the oil and gas industry, to its board of directors.

Lennox International, a leader in climate-control systems headquartered in Richardson, announced the addition of Sivasankaran “Soma” Somasundaram to its board of directors on March 15. Somasundaram, serving as president, CEO, and director of  ChampionX Corporation, brings extensive experience from the oil and gas sector.

ChampionX Corporation is a publicly traded global leader in chemistry solutions, artificial lift systems, and “highly engineered” oil and gas equipment and technology.

Todd Teske, Lennox’s board chair, praised Somasundaram’s strategic and operational expertise, transformative leadership, and financial insight as key assets to the board.

Previously, Somasundaram held leadership positions at Dover Energy before its 2018 spinoff to form ChampionX. His tenure at Dover included roles such as executive vice president across various divisions. Before Dover, he was involved in global operations at GL&V Inc. and Baker Hughes Inc., joining Dover in 2004.

The U.S. Secretary of Energy appointed Somasundaram to the National Petroleum Council in 2023. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Anna University and a master of science in industrial engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

‘Board refreshment and succession planning’

In a statement, Janet Cooper, chair of Lennox’s board governance committee, said Somasundaram’s “outstanding qualifications and cultural fit so expeditiously following the departure of one of our valued and long-standing directors is a testament to our robust board refreshment and succession planning.”

Kim K. W. Rucker, who served on the board for nearly nine years, notified the company of her resignation effective February 29, 2024, in early December.

Lennox board members for 2024 include:

  • Todd J. Teske, chair of the board, Lennox
  • Alok Maskara, chief executive officer, Lennox
  • Sherry L. Buck, chief financial officer, W.L. Gore & Associates Inc.
  • Janet K. Cooper, former senior vice president and treasurer, Qwest Communications International Inc.
  • John W. Norris III, chairman, Environmental Funders Partnership
  • Karen Hughes Quintos, former executive vice president and chief customer officer, Dell Technologies, Inc.
  • Sivasankaran “Soma” Somasundaram, president and CEO, ChampionX
  • Gregory T. Swienton, former chairman and CEO, Ryder System, Inc.
  • Shane D. Wall, former chief technology officer and global head of HP Labs, HP Inc.
 

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