Sussex Injection Molding Discloses Leadership Position Updates

Left to right: Kyle Kopp, Justin Guagliardo, Megan Tzanoukakis and Chris Everson. Photo Credit: Sussex IM

Sussex Injection Molding Inc., a Wisconsin-based custom plastic injection molder, has announced a series of leadership appointments to position the company for its next phase of growth. Vice president of supply chain, Megan Tzanoukakis, who joined Sussex IM in 2014, has been appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO). Along with Tzanoukakis comes the addition of three new members to the leadership team: chief technical officer (CTO) Christopher Everson, chief operating officer (COO) Kyle Kopp and chief financial officer (CFO) Justin Guagliardo.

Keith Everson, current CEO of Sussex IM, will move into the role of chairman after serving the company for 42 years, 27 of those as the acting president. “This new leadership team will take Sussex IM, Inc. to the next level. After working with this group of professionals, I am confident they will keep the family culture and integrity of Sussex moving forward,” Everson says.

Tzanoukakis is a graduate of Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and Master of Science in accounting. She is a certified public accountant and supply chain professional. Before joining Sussex IM in 2014 as the manufacturing scheduler, Tzanoukakis worked in the assurance practice at PwC. In her role as the VP of supply chain, Megan enhanced the utilization of Sussex IM’s ERP system to increase inventory accuracy and develop the fulfillment business. She is passionate about the importance and necessity of plastics in suitable applications, along with looking for ways to bring additional value to the company’s customer base.

“Family is a core piece of the culture at Sussex IM and extends to our employees, customers and suppliers. I’m proud to lead a company that is committed to investing in our people, machinery and automation to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.,” Tzanoukakis says.

Chris Everson has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Marquette University; he came to Sussex IM in March of 2022 as the director of project engineering. Before Sussex IM, Everson spent 10 years in engineering at Husco. At Sussex IM, he’s helped bridge the gap between sales, engineering and manufacturing. As CTO, he will oversee the marketing, sales, engineering and technical services departments with the goal of launching Sussex IM into a new era of customers and capabilities.

Kyle Kopp will lead Sussex IM as the COO with his vast injection molding experience. With a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UW-Stout, Kopp started his career in plastics as a mechanical design engineer and has been in the industry for 20 years, holding positions in engineering, sales and management. Kopp joined Sussex IM in 2018 as the VP of manufacturing, where he has managed and streamlined the overall operational efficiency of the manufacturing floor. As COO, Kopp looks forward to continuously improving processes on the journey to operational excellence.

Justin Guagliardo earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from UW-Oshkosh and is a certified public accountant. After working as a financial auditor at Ernst & Young, Guagliardo went on to senior accountant roles at QB Company and Global Power Components. Since joining Sussex IM in 2021, Guagliardo has been responsible for managing and analyzing forecasting and budgeting, as well as overseeing several other financial and systems-related processes. As CFO, Justin will lead Sussex IM’s financial operations. He plans to execute financial initiatives and processes to support the company’s growth and profitability.

Keith Everson and Dave Guagliardo, former CEO and CFO respectively, will retain ownership of the company. They will work in partnership with the new leadership team in an advisory capacity and will support the leadership transition throughout 2023.