Following our recent announcement, Applied Control Engineering (ACE) is excited to introduce the three new owners who have joined the leadership team: Kristen Sheriff, Joe Rappazzo, and Chris McCaslin. With their extensive experience and fresh perspectives, they will be instrumental in advancing our mission and shaping the future of our company.
In this blog, we will learn more about their professional backgrounds and how their expertise will contribute to enhancing ACE's capabilities and reinforce our dedication to providing exceptional value to our customers.
Kristen configured oil pipeline simulations for Schneider prior to joining ACE in 2014 as a controls engineer. Learning the ropes of system integration, she developed key customers for our Chesapeake office in Maryland and was quickly elevated to a team lead position focusing on engineering management. Kristen was an integral part of the development of ACE’s Project Management Office (PMO) where she, in concert with the director of the PMO, developed and implemented a new training course for both new-to-ACE and transfer-from-engineering project managers. In 2020, she took over as operations manager of the Chesapeake office resulting in an 80% growth rate in both sales and headcount. In 2024, Kristen became the Director of Operations for the Chesapeake (MD), Rocky Mountain (CO), and Gulf Coast (TX) offices. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware.
Joe Rappazzo started his career at ACE in 2014 as a control system engineer after earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University. Joe quickly became one our key technical leads with expertise in batch control systems for the life sciences industry. In 2017, Joe joined our Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) leadership team, helping to expand our customer base and provide a business focus for this core solution at ACE. As part of this team, he helped drive a remarkable 20x growth in MES business, making it one of ACE’s key successes in the last decade. Promoted to team leader in 2021, Joe cultivated a culture of collaboration and operational excellence in the Delaware office. In October 2024, he advanced to the Director of Operations, where he continues to lead growth, drive efficiency, and mentor teams to deliver exceptional results.
Chris joined ACE in the summer of 2016 as a project engineer in our Quakertown office. Prior to joining ACE, he was with Air Products and Bechtel focusing on integration and modernization projects for nuclear power, solar power, and industrial gas production. As an engineer and team leader for the Lehigh Valley organization, Chris was part of the team that planned and executed a shift from primarily focusing on providing on-demand and scheduled site control engineering to a fully integrated organization capable of delivering a full range of ACE solutions. In 2020, he formally took over operational responsibility in the Lehigh Valley area. During his tenure as Operations Manager Lehigh Valley increased sales by over 60% and added over twenty-five team members. In January of 2024, Chris was promoted to Director of Operations over the three offices located in PA, as well as our corporate-based Hardware Design organizations.
President Ian Burns stated, "Bringing new owners into ACE is a celebration of the dedication and achievements of our team and is an investment in the future of ACE that will help ensure we can continue with our unwavering commitment to our customers well into the future. We are proud to continue this tradition started by the founders of our company and are pleased to maintain our status as an independent control systems integrator."
This significant milestone reflects our commitment to developing mutually beneficial long-term relationships with our key stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, and the community.
Please join us in welcoming Chris, Joe, and Kristen to the ACE ownership team! We look forward to seeing how ACE develops with the addition of these three new voices in ownership.