Steve Blanco serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for MSA Safety. MSA was established in 1914 and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MSA. With sales of $1.8 billion and operations in more than 40 locations around the world, MSA Safety’s business is focused on the development and manufacture of innovative products and solutions that help protect people and facility infrastructures around the world.
Today, MSA products are used by workers in the energy sector, the fire service, construction, the utility industry, certain sectors of the military, the HVAC/R industry, and in general industrial applications. As CEO, Mr. Blanco oversees MSA’s global business, managed through the company’s two primary business segments: MSA Americas and MSA International. In this capacity, Mr. Blanco is responsible for all of the company’s business initiatives, strategy development, and operations throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Mr. Blanco also serves as a director of MSA.
Over the past 12 years, Mr. Blanco has held roles of increasing responsibility, including President and Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, Mr. Blanco created and launched the MSA Business System, which is designed to make MSA Safety a best-in-class organization by creating a continuous improvement culture throughout the organization.
Prior to that, Mr. Blanco served as President of the company’s Americas business segment, responsible for the company’s business in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Under Mr. Blanco’s leadership, from 2018 through 2022, revenue in the segment grew by more than 40 percent. Mr. Blanco joined MSA in 2012 as Vice President of Global Operational Excellence.
Prior to MSA, Mr. Blanco worked for Eaton Corporation, a global and diversified power management company, serving as Vice President of manufacturing for the company’s Electrical Sector. Preceding Eaton, he worked for Ford Motor Company and Visteon, serving in a variety of engineering, plant management and operations roles.
An engineer by trade, Mr. Blanco earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering technology from Purdue University. He also holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
In addition to his MSA Safety responsibilities, Mr. Blanco serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and on the Board of Trustees for the Manufacturers Alliance (formerly known as MAPI) and serves on the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities in the
Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Steve and his wife Pam are the proud parents of two sons and one daughter. They also have six grandchildren. In his free time, Steve enjoys fishing, fitness, and family time.
