Southco Inc. recently announced the appointment of Thomas Mehler to president, Southco Inc. and officer of TouchPoint Inc., effective September 1, 2016. Mehler succeeds Southco President Brian McNeill, who will transition into a full time role as company President & CEO of TouchPoint, Inc. by the end of the year.
With this appointment, Mehler becomes the fifth President to lead Southco in the company’s 71 year history. He has a proven track record of leading and driving global growth, having lived, managed and built Southco businesses in all three regions of the world. During his 26 year career with Southco, he has taken great pride and effort to develop and challenge both himself and the teams that he has led.
His journey to this leadership role began in 1990 when he was hired as Southco’s first Sales Account Manager for Germany. He moved to the UK in 1996, where he was later promoted to managing director to lead Southco’s Europe operations.
In 2001, Mehler lead the launch of Southco’s Asia/Pacific operations with the establishment of Southco’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong, China. During his period as managing director, Asia Pacific, Mehler oversaw the dramatic growth of the region, including the establishment of manufacturing and distribution in China, the acquisition of Mei Kei and the start-up of Southco India.
In 2008, Mehler was appointed director of North America operations and then promoted to vice president and managing director, America's Region, where he established a regional leadership team and led the expansion of Southco’s business into Mexico and Brazil.
“During my tenure as Southco President, I have come to rely upon and appreciate Thomas' strong leadership and commitment to our business,” said Brian McNeill, president & CEO of TouchPoint Inc. “Thomas's keen business acumen, deep global experiences and proven track record of accomplishments, coupled with his people centric business focus, will enable Southco to continue to excel in the future.”
