By Staff
May 25th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Anna Galoni has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of bearing and seal specialist Thordon Bearings Inc., a Thomson-Gordon Group company.
Anna Galoni on the Thordon shop floor
Galoni, the first female CEO in the Burlington-headquartered company’s 100+ year history, says that while it is encouraging that more women are being selected for senior executive roles, the boardrooms of the country’s maritime and industrial manufacturing businesses remain “male-dominated industries”.
“While there are now more women in senior roles in Canada’s top 100 companies than before, there are still a lot of industries that could be more egalitarian. The maritime and industrial manufacturing industries are certainly still male-dominated,” she said. “A woman brings a different viewpoint to the boardroom.”
Galoni, who joined the seals and bearings manufacturer in 2007, after graduating from Queens University with a Masters’ Degree in epidemiology, recalls her dismay when she learned there were no female applicants for a senior role the company was recruiting for.
“Maybe they might be more open to applying for jobs in the manufacturing and engineering sectors when there is a female at the helm, I don’t know. What I do know is that these industries need to be made more attractive to women. There needs to be more diversity in the boardroom; they need to be open to different concepts, different perspectives, different ideas.”
Breathing new life into the family-owned Thomson-Gordon Group, Galoni has now finalized a company-wide restructure and is set to implement a strategic plan that will see the Group expand and diversify its product portfolio into other markets.
“Our philosophy, then and now, is to innovate and make systems and technologies that last a lifetime and add value for our customers. This will continue to be at the heart of everything we do.”
“There’s a lot of things happening,” she said. “People here are excited. I am excited. Innovation is a huge part of our 110-year-history and this will continue. We want to grow the business and have big plans to take us to the next level.”
Prior to Anna’s appointment in April, she held a number of senior roles in various departments including Human Resources Director, and New Product Development Director. In addition to her CEO role, Anna is also the Chair of Thomson-Gordon Group companies Thordon Bearings and Marsh Brothers Aviation.
Her appointment follows the retirement of Terry McGowan, who stepped down after almost 14 years in the CEO role.
Thordon Bearings’ technologies are used across the marine, clean power generation, pump and industrial sectors. The company’s bearing and seal products have achieved worldwide renown as grease- and maintenance-free, environmentally safe alternatives to traditional bronze bearings.
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