Maggie Bidlingmaier will succeed retiring President and CEO Kevin Frank on September 28 and, according to AstenJohnson, will be the first woman to serve as CEO.
AstenJohnson has appointed Maggie Bidlingmaier as president and chief executive officer, effective September 28, 2026, succeeding Kevin Frank, who will remain with the company through December 31 to support the transition before retiring.
Bidlingmaier was selected after a global executive search led by AstenJohnson’s board of directors. She brings experience leading international manufacturing businesses, pursuing profitable growth and developing customer-focused strategies.
Her previous positions include executive vice president and president of the Americas at Graphic Packaging International. Before joining Graphic Packaging in 2022, she served as president of Performance Solutions at Invista, a Koch Industries subsidiary. She previously held other leadership roles at Invista and worked in global sales and marketing at Avery Dennison.
AstenJohnson said Bidlingmaier will be the first woman to serve as CEO in the company’s history.
Marc Noël, chairman of AstenJohnson’s board, said Bidlingmaier’s manufacturing experience, operational expertise and leadership approach will support the company’s strategic priorities and customer relationships.
Frank joined AstenJohnson in 2015 and has led the company through a period of operational expansion and investment. During his tenure, AstenJohnson strengthened its global operations, expanded its presence in nonwovens and broadened its manufacturing and innovation capabilities.
Frank and Bidlingmaier will work together ahead of the September transition to maintain continuity for employees, customers and other stakeholders.
AstenJohnson manufactures paper machine clothing, advanced and filtration fabrics, filaments and nonwoven materials for the pulp and paper, filtration, automotive, cured-in-place pipe and composites markets. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, the company operates manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
