OREANDA-NEWS. March 22, 2016. AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) said today that its Board of Directors has approved the following executive promotions, effective immediately:

• Brian K. Bishop has been named Vice President, Carbon Steel Operations. He will also assume responsibility for Manufacturing Planning. Mr. Bishop is currently Director, Carbon Steel Operations.

• Michael A. Kercsmar has been named Vice President, Specialty Steel Operations. He will also assume responsibility for Quality Assurance. Mr. Kercsmar is currently Director, Specialty Steel Operations.

“I am pleased to welcome Brian and Mike to our executive team,” said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. “These moves align with our strategic initiatives to create the most effective and efficient structure to drive innovation and meet our customers’ needs.”

Mr. Bishop joined AK Steel in 1995 as Shift Manager in the maintenance department at Middletown Works. He progressed through a number of positions before being named Manager, Occupational Safety and Health in 2008, General Manager, Mansfield Works in 2008, General Manager, Middletown Works in 2010, and General Manager, Dearborn Works in 2014.

Mr. Bishop was promoted to Director, Carbon Steel Operations in 2015, with overall responsibility for the company’s four carbon steel plants – Middletown Works, Ashland Works, Rockport Works and Dearborn Works. He will continue to report to Kirk W. Reich, President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Bishop holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from the Ohio State University.

Mr. Kercsmar joined AK Steel in 1997 as Shift Manager in the cold strip mill at Middletown Works. He progressed through a number of roles including Department Manager, South Coating in 2007, and Manager, Occupational Safety and Health at Middletown Works in 2009. He was named General Manager, Mansfield Works in 2010 and General Manager, Coshocton Works and Zanesville Works in 2013.

Mr. Kercsmar was promoted to Director, Specialty Steel Operations in 2015, with responsibility for the company’s four specialty steel plants – Butler Works, Mansfield Works, Coshocton Works and Zanesville Works. He will continue to report to Kirk W. Reich, President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining AK Steel, he was a Process Engineer for Republic Engineered Steel. Mr. Kercsmar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Ohio State University.

AK Steel
AK Steel is a world leader in the production of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, construction and electrical power generation and distribution markets. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company employs approximately 8,500 men and women at eight steel plants, two coke plants and two tube manufacturing plants across six states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.