Forward Janesville: New CEO has background in manufacturing, investments

Neil Johnson, The Janesville Gazette, Wis.
·2 min read

Jun. 23—JANESVILLE — Local chamber of commerce Forward Janesville announced Wednesday it has hired investment banker and former manufacturing industry executive Mike Osborne to replace its retiring CEO and president, John Beckord.

Beckord announced in late 2019 his intention to retire sometime in 2020.

Osborne comes aboard July 19 after a yearlong search for a new CEO—a process the chamber said had to be paused at least once during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A resident of suburban Batavia, Illinois, Osborne is now employed at national investment firm Mirus Capital Advisors as an advisor in mergers and buying and selling of businesses and capital-raising services in the manufacturing sector.

Osborne, who grew up on a farm in Ontario, Canada, will take the reins of Forward Janesville after the nearly 20-year stint Beckord has led the chamber.

According to a bio provided by Forward Janesville, Obsorne formerly held senior operational roles for years at Ford and General Motors plants in Canada, and he has held executive roles at Elkay, a manufacturer of drinking fountain systems, and electrical tools and equipment manufacturer Gardner Bender.

Osborne brings to Janesville a diverse background in manufacturing, including in technology.

A bio for Osborne on Mirus Capital Advisors' website says Osborne had a prior track record in industry of "returning companies to profitability," including stints as a senior vice president at publicly-held electronics manufacturer Sparton Corporation and chief revenue officer at Angelica, a linens supplier to hospitals.

Osborne also serves on the board of directors for publicly-traded IEC Electronics, a contract manufacturer of technology used in life-saving devices.

The Gazette could not immediately reach Osborne for comment on Wednesday.

Beckord had signaled his retirement in December 2019, saying he planned to remain on board through spring 2020 in order to give Forward Janesville time to launch and complete a statewide and regional search for a new chamber director.

In a note to chamber members on Wednesday, Lindau tipped his cap to Beckord, who Lindau said agreed during the pandemic to delay his retirement and stay at the helm months longer than he'd intended.

Lindau said Beckord has spent the last year "energized" by the challenges of the pandemic, and he said Beckord's "willingness to delay retirement and continue to serve FJ and the community afforded the selection committee the time necessary to ensure we found the absolute best candidate to lead Forward Janesville into the future."