PBI-Gordon names new chief operating officer

Steve Clifford (Photo provided by PBI-Gordon)

PBI-Gordon Corp. named Steve Clifford as its new COO. The change became effective July 31.

He was previously an audit partner and the managing partner of Ernst & Young’s Kansas City office from 1999 through his retirement in 2015.

Clifford has served as an advisory director on the PBI-Gordon board of directors since his retirement in 2015. In addition to his duties at PBI-Gordon, he also serves as a director on the board of Ferrellgas Partners, an American supplier of propane.

In the newly created position of COO, Clifford will direct operations of PBI-Gordon’s three business units: pest management, PetAg and Pegasus Laboratories. Additionally, he will oversee the company’s information technology and enterprise resource planning teams. Clifford will report directly to PBI-Gordon CEO Don Chew.

“Steve Clifford is a proven business leader and will be an outstanding addition to the PBI-Gordon management team,” Chew said. “His experience in helping companies make their businesses better through strategic development, a focus on financial performance metrics and attainment of immediate and long-term growth objectives will be vital as we continue to grow and increase market share across all the sectors we serve.”

In addition to his current roles with PBI-Gordon and Ferrellgas, Clifford serves as a member of the board of the Archdiocese of Northeast Kansas. He’s also the former chairman of the board of both Cristo Rey High School and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Clifford is also a former director of the Boy Scouts of America and Rockhurst High School, among others.