Industry Mourns Passing of Don Charron, Former CEO of Kimball Electronics

We received news of the death of Don Charron over this past weekend and repost this video interview that Eric conducted with him a few months ago as a tribute to a great man and Icon of the EMS Industry.

Here is the announcement from Kimball

 All of us at Kimball Electronics mourn the loss of our longtime Chairman and CEO and dear friend, Don Charron. At the same time, we celebrate and honor Don for his deep personal and engaging commitment to his family, his community, and our company. Don was a strong believer in doing the right thing and shaped our Guiding Principles, and we are forever grateful for his warmth, positivity, generosity, and tireless work that, over his 24 years of service, contributed so much to our collective successes. Don is beloved, and everyone who worked with him will cherish his life and the legacy that he left us.

Don joined Kimball International in 1999 to lead the Kimball Electronics Group. For the next nearly quarter century, he strategically positioned Kimball Electronics for success with geographic expansions around the globe and led our portfolio diversification with applications supporting the automotive, medical, and industrial end markets. Additionally in 2014, Don led Kimball Electronics through the spin-off from Kimball International to an independent, publicly traded company listed on Nasdaq. Under Don’s leadership, Kimball Electronics was honored with numerous awards and distinctions for operational excellence and the highest levels of customer service, including special recognitions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Before his retirement in March of 2023, Don had shepherded Kimball Electronics to the nearly $2 billion company we are today.

Within our company, Don is remembered as an approachable leader, role model, and mentor. Everybody learned something from Don, and he made sure that everyone he interacted with felt important – coworkers around the world, customers, share owners, friends, and the communities in which we operate. We will feel his imprint on Kimball Electronics and our industry for years to come and will always remember and honor Don for the indelible mark he left on the electronics industry, our global Kimball family, and the Jasper community. We share our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew and loved him.

Online condolences may be shared on the Becher Kluesner Funeral Home of Jasper, IN site: https://www.becherkluesner.com/obituaries/Donald-Charron/#!/Obituary

In February, Eric spent some time with exiting CEO Don Charron of Kimball Electronics and they reflected on his illustrious and eventful 24 years at the helm of this impressive company. Don shares the history of the company from its experience in pianos and organs as electronics were added to these instruments, and then making televisions for Motorola. He touches on Kimball’s 50 years manufacturing in Reynosa, Mexico; Kimball’s company culture and much more. It’s a fascinating discussion with an industry icon.