JoAnna Sohovich, above, resigned as president of Honeywell Security & Communications.
By the Editors of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION
MELVILLE, N.Y. — After 15 months serving as president of Honeywell Security & Communications, JoAnna Sohovich has resigned from her position, according to a statement provided to SSI.
Honeywell has named Scott Harkins as her replacement. He previously served as president and general manager of Honeywell Systems.
Honeywell Global Marketing Communications Leader David Gottlieb said Sohovich chose to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.
"We thank JoAnna for her contributions to the Security Group, as well as other Honeywell businesses," he said in the statement. "We wish her well in her future endeavors."
Multiple sources told SSI that Sohovich has received two separate job offers and that she is currently deciding on which position to accept. She submitted her resignation last week, according to sources.
Sohovich replaced Ron Rothman as president of Honeywell Security & Communications in September 2010, following his appointment to president of the Honeywell Security Group. Additionally, Sohovich served as president of the First Alert Professional dealer program. She continued to report to Rothman.
As a company veteran, Sohovich previously held positions in Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions (ACS), Aerospace and Specialty Materials businesses. She also served as vice president and general manager of Commercial Control Systems, a business within Honeywell Environmental and Combustion Controls.
Sohovich is credited, in part, for helping the firm usher in new products and services to meet rising consumer demands for mobile connectivity to their homes and businesses, as well as other technologies.
Sohovich played an active role at the recent First Alert Professional convention in Scottsdale, Ariz., during which she presided over general sessions and other activities.
While Sohovich's expertise will be missed, Sandy Jones, principal of Chardon, Ohio-based consulting firm Sandra Jones & Co., says Honeywell is well positioned to appoint her successor.
"One person doesn't make a company. One person can help make change in a company, but there are a variety of good leaders at Honeywell," Jones tells SSI. "That said, however, no company in this industry can rest on their laurels. They must continue to find ways to grow exponentially, and I think that's very difficult to do today."
ASG Security CEO Joe Nuccio, who is a member of the First Alert dealer program, agrees that Honeywell is likely to find a replacement for Sohovich among its own ranks.
"Honeywell has great bench strength and they have the ability to continue to move forward," he tells SSI. "They have a great dealer program that's been operating quite robustly, and I think they'll continue to do that."