By Maria Saporta
Atlanta is losing another one of its women executives.
Penny McIntyre, a former top executive of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., has been picked by the board of Sunrise Senior Living LLC to serve as the company’s new CEO. Sunrise Senior Living is based in McLean, Va.
“I wanted to let you know that I landed a role – CEO of Sunrise Senior Living,” McIntyre wrote in an email. “I am excited – a role where I can make a difference. But sad to be leaving Atlanta…”
McIntyre, who will begin her new job on Nov. 18, will succeed Mark Ordan, the company’s current CEO, who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down from his role after the sale of the company.
McIntyre has spent more than 20 years of her career in the global consumer industry. She was president of Newell Rubbermaid’s Consumer Group, where she led the international growth strategy for the company’s global brands — Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Calphalon, Levolor, Paper Mate and Parker.
In 2011, McIntyre had been an internal candidate to become CEO of Newell Rubbermaid — a Fortune 500 company. But the job ended up going to Michael Polk, a member of the company’s board. Then her position ended being phased out during an executive reorganization in 2012.
Prior to joining Newell Rubbermaid, McIntyre also has held executive positions at the Coca-Cola Co. and S.C. Johnson.
“We searched extensively to find the next leader for Sunrise’s world-class care model, and knew we had found the right person when we met Penny,” said Bill Petty, chairman of Sunrise’s board and founding principal of Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Co.
“Penny’s expertise in leading world-class organizations to meet consumer needs reinforces Sunrise’s mission to champion the quality of life for all seniors,” Petty added. “Above all, her passion for helping others personifies Sunrise’s core values and commitment to offering the highest quality care to its residents.”
McIntyre said she was honored to become the third CEO in the company’s 30 year history and the first woman to lead the organization.
“I feel a strong sense of responsibility to build on what has made Sunrise the best in senior care,” McIntyre said. “While visiting Sunrise’s communities, I quickly recognized the team’s dedication to providing its residents and their families a home that is safe and nurturing. I share in their deep commitment to the principles of service and mission that set Sunrise apart, and I look forward to helping the company grow to serve even more seniors.”
Ordan led the company through a financial turnaround and a sale earlier this year to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Co. and Health Care REIT.
Sunrise Senior Living employs about 29,000 people. As of Oct. 1, Sunrise operated 291 communities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a unit capacity of about 26,700 units.
Sunrise offers a full range of personalized senior living services, including independent living, assisted living, care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of memory loss, as well as nursing and rehabilitative services.
