Louisville, Ky. – January 19, 2021 – GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, has promoted Marcia Brey to vice president of distribution for the company effective immediately. Brey is the first woman to be named to this role. A 25-plus year veteran of the company, she will be responsible for leading all facets of delivering world-class service and quality for our U.S. distribution network, including transportation, logistics warehousing and delivery to millions of customers and consumers.

To further support GEA’s growth, Brey will lead the creation and operation of distribution networks for new products and channels, continue implementation of smart distribution ecosystems to achieve world-class service levels and optimize inventory in our supply chain.

“Marcia has built her career here at GE Appliances, taking on high-profile growth assignments that have delivered meaningful results across the business,” said Kevin Nolan, president and chief executive officer for GE Appliances. “She’s a data-driven leader who cares deeply about her team, and I’m thrilled to have such an experienced and well-respected person promoted to a senior leadership role in the company.”

Brey steps in to replace Mark Shirkness, who has been named Business Transformation Leader for the company, where he will be using his vast experience of over 30 successful years at GEA to accelerate the company’s digital transformation with key customers and bring online key processes that will help the company grow.

Diverse career path enables strong foundation for new role

Early in her career, Brey joined the Edison Engineering program in 1994 and completed various assignments in Technology, supporting refrigeration and laundry. From there she moved to Commercial Services, in 2001, where she held numerous roles, including Six Sigma Black Belt and then team leader for e-business initiatives. In 2004, she became the Master Black Belt for Distribution. Brey led the finished goods warehouse network and logistics teams’ implementation of Lean Six Sigma, where she developed a culture of learning and continuous change.

Later in her career, in 2010, Brey assumed responsibility for the Service Parts Supply Chain network and led an initiative for Supply Chain improving the speed and efficiency of material and information flow to the customer. In 2012, she was promoted to the business quality leader role for the bottom-freezer refrigeration plant and was promoted to plant manager a year later. In 2017, Brey was named the lean enterprise leader where she was responsible for accelerating and implementing transformational processes and improving business-wide management systems. In February of 2020, Brey was asked to co-lead the COVID-19 Business Continuity Planning team.

Ten things to know about Marcia Brey

  1. Marcia has two master's degrees in engineering — a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville and a Master of Engineering from the University of Arizona. She is also registered as a profession engineer in Kentucky.
  2. During her career at GE Appliances, Marcia has worked in roles of increasing responsibility across the business in Technology, Manufacturing, Distribution, Lean Enterprise, Quality and Commercial Services.
  3. Marcia is the co-chair of GEA's Women’s Network, and she strongly believes in paying it forward to support the career development and promotion of other women.
  4. She is the Chair of the Board for the Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross and has served on the board for 11 years.
  5. Marcia has been recognized as a “Forty Under Forty” recipient by Business First, a “STEP Award Honoree” from Women in Manufacturing (WiM) and as a Clara Barton Volunteer award recipient from the American Red Cross.
  6. Marcia and her husband Greg have three teenage boys, ages 19, 17 and 14.
  7. Marcia loves volleyball, and that passion is shared by her husband and three boys, who decided to turn their backyard into a sand volleyball court.
  8. Marcia is a volunteer at Catholic Charities, supporting the refugee ministry.
  9. She is a diehard University of Louisville basketball fan and loves attending NCAA basketball tournament games.
  10. Marcia is an active member of her parish, St. Gabriel, where she serves on numerous church committees.

About GE Appliances

GE Appliances strives to make the world a better place, and its team is committed to leading in the communities where employees live and work. A purpose-rooted and passion-driven organization, GE Appliances believes there is always a better way. It sells products under the Monogram®, Café™, GE Profile™, GE® Appliances, Haier and Hotpoint brands. Products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems, water heaters and small appliances. For more information, visit www.geappliancesco.com.