Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> March 11, 2003
SELIM BASSOUL has been Chief Executive Officer of The Middleby
Corporation since 2000. Mr. Bassoul has been with The Middleby
Corporation, a leading manufacturer of commercial cooking
appliances, since 1996. He was hired as President of the
Southbend division and then promoted to Chief Operating Officer
in 1999. Mr. Bassoul worked in the healthcare industry for eight
years, for American Hospital Supply and Baxter, Inc. in various
positions, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate
planning, and regional director in the Middle East and Africa.
The next eight years Mr. Bassoul worked in commercial food
equipment for Premark, Inc., a unit of Illinois Tool Works, as
Director of Marketing, General Manager of the Cook-Chili
division, and Vice President of Sales for the Vulcan cooking
division. He was educated by the Jesuits at Notre Dame de Jamhour
through high school, and then attended the American University of
Beirut, where he received a BA in Business Administration. He
worked for Ernst & Whinney (today EWCG) in Audit for one year in
the Middle East and then came to the United States to continue
his postgraduate education at Northwestern University's Kellogg
School of Management. He earned his MBA in Finance and Marketing
in 1981 and holds a Certificate in Accounting. Profile
TWST: Would you begin with an introductory overview of thecompany?
Mr. Bassoul: Middleby is a leading player in the commercial
cooking equipment market in the US and overseas, which