LEADERSHIP

Our goal is to deliver exceptional customer service along with the most reliable and innovative products and solutions to help our customers be more successful. With this in mind, Wilson Tool International has manufacturing facilities and sales channels around the world to serve our thousands of global customers.

We are known for our customized tooling solutions designed to help customers resolve their most challenging fabrication issues worldwide. Wilson Tool products can be found in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America.

Leadership Team

We are pleased to introduce the leaders of Wilson Tool International.

Paul Johnson Headshot
Paul Johnson
CEO of Wilson Tool Enterprises
Paul has a degree in Machine Technology from Century College. He was hired by Wilson Tool in 1987 and has held various positions within the company. In 2001 Paul became the VP of Operations for Wilson Tool Inc., and was promoted to President of New Business Development in 2013. Paul belongs to the North American Punch Manufacturers Association (NAPMA) of which he was president in 2009. He was also a member of the Paradigm Group, an executive manufacturing group focused on Lean Manufacturing.

Outside of Wilson Tool, Paul enjoys family activities, traveling, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting and other sports. He also owns a hobby farm and enjoys spending time with family and friends at his cabin.
Chris Lawless Headshot
Chris Lawless
COO of Wilson Tool Enterprises
Soon after Chris was hired by Wilson Tool in 1992, he helped create the first manufacturing engineering department and was the project manager of the SAP implementation. He became the VP of Operations in 2002 and was promoted to President in 2013. Chris received his degree in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State and an MBA in Finance with an emphasis in Venture Capitalism from the University of St. Thomas.

Chris is most proud of being part of a management team that has helped inspire a continuous improvement culture at Wilson Tool and helped to make a good company become even better. He is also pleased to have been involved in the expansion of Wilson Tool’s international presence by helping in the addition of manufacturing facilities in China, Canada, and Brazil.

Chris is very active. He enjoys hiking, fishing, and skiing among other activities while also reading a good book at the end of the day. He and his wife Camille have three children: Austin, Connor and Lauren. Chris enjoys watching his kids go through the college experience and explore new opportunities in life.
Jason Semerad Headshot
Jason Semerad
CCO of Wilson Tool Enterprises

Jason joined Wilson Tool in April 2024 as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). With a career spanning over 25 years in prominent global corporations, he brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, strategy, commercialization, product lifecycle management, and business development. Known for his keen focus on customer needs and market dynamics, Jason is poised to lead Wilson Tool into its next phase of growth.

Jason graduated from the Indiana University, Kelley School of Business with a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and New Venture/Business Development, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Management, and International Business, enhancing his insight into global market dynamics and marketing excellence.

Outside of work, Jason enjoys spending time skiing, playing tennis, golfing, and traveling with his wife and three daughters. When not cheering on his daughters from the sidelines (dance, tennis, volleyball, basketball, soccer) he also enjoys the outdoors and hunting.

Ron Palick Headshot
Ron Palick
Global VP of Sales
Ron has been working in his present capacity at Wilson Tool since 2015, and has previously held a number of different roles at the company with increasing responsibilities. Among his career accomplishments is being named on the patent for Wilson Tool’s Trumpf-style tooling cartridge.
 
In his spare time, Ron enjoys visiting art museums.
Brian J. Lee Headshot
Brian J. Lee
Global VP of Technology
Brian joined Wilson Tool in 2005 to work as the New Product Development Manager. He has an AAS in Machine Tool & Die Technology and a BS in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.  
 
His favorite accomplishment at Wilson Tool has been leading R&D teams in the development of industry changing solutions such as EXP, HP2 and Power Express clamping. He is also proud of his 15 patents covering innovative solutions for the sheet metal tooling industry.
 
Brian enjoys spending time with his wife and three children doing activities like watching movies, archery, and doing small machining projects in his shop. He also enjoys brushing up on his skills and learning about new technology trends. He has recently started riding a motorcycle.
Mike Sosnoski Headshot
Michael Sosnoski
Global VP of Operations - Press Brake
Mike has worked at Wilson Tool since 2000 in a variety of roles. He was a Manufacturing Engineer for the Turret Specials division and for the Impax Tooling Solutions® division, Lead Engineer and Manufacturing Manager before assuming his current position. He has also functioned as an SAP Super User, Project Manager and a Continuous Improvement / Kaizen facilitator. Mike earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
 
Setting up the manufacturing plant in China is one of Mike’s most satisfying accomplishments at Wilson Tool. He appreciates how Wilson Tool is more of a family than a place to work, as fellow employees don’t hesitate to help each other out in times of need.
 
In his free time, Mike enjoys downhill skiing with his wife and kids.
Jason Esch Headshot
Jason Esch
Global VP of Operations - Punching and Stamping
Jason joined Wilson Tool in 2014 as a punching sales desk representative. He has also held positions as turret EDM technical support, and as assistant manager of turret specials before taking on his current role. Jason earned his BA from Drake University.

One of Jason’s most memorable accomplishments was improving the process for manufacturing compression dies to achieve surface detail and finish requirements. He appreciates the team he has around him and how everyone brings different skills to the job.

In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and tinkering with electronics.

Wilson Tool International, USA Leadership Team

Chris Lawless, COO of Wilson Tool Enterprises; Jason Semerad, CCO of Wilson Tool Enterprises; Ron Palick, Global VP of Sales; Mike Sosnoski, Global VP of Operations – Press Brake; Brian Lee, Global VP of Technology; Jason Esch, Global VP of Operations – Punching and Stamping; Amy Crews, Director of Human Resources – Americas.

Read the USA Leadership Team bios here.



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