Steven A. Sonnenberg named executive vice president of Emerson and business leader of Emerson Process Management

John M. Berra to become chairman of Emerson Process Management

ST. LOUIS–Emerson (NYSE:EMR – News) announced today that, effective Oct. 1, 2008, Steven A. Sonnenberg will be named executive vice president of Emerson and business leader of Emerson Process Management, headquartered in Austin, Texas. John M. Berra, a 32-year veteran of Emerson who has been business leader since 2000, will become chairman of Emerson Process Management to focus primarily on strategic planning, technology, key customer relationships and organizational planning.

In announcing the promotions, Emerson Chairman, CEO and President David N. Farr praised Berra’s leadership role in the global process industry and in driving Emerson Process Management’s technology innovation and its strong global position. As business leader, Berra increased revenues for the business from $3 billion when he took over in 2000 to $5.7 billion in 2007. He has driven development of digital communication standards, revolutionary plant control systems and the introduction of wireless technologies in process plants.

“John has been a tireless force in pursuit of technology leadership, operational excellence and in establishing a strong foothold in markets all over the world — not just for the past eight years as business leader, but for his entire career,” Farr said. “He’ll continue to be a vital asset for this business and for our company in his new role.”

Farr emphasized that Sonnenberg’s nearly 30 years industry experience and strong management abilities make him the ideal choice to take the business forward.

Sonnenberg joined Emerson in 1979 as a marketing analyst with Brooks Instrument. His career progressed rapidly as he assumed a number of marketing and general management positions in Germany, London and Asia Pacific. In 2000, Sonnenberg was appointed president of Emerson Process Management Asia Pacific and in 2002 he was appointed president of Rosemount. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Georgia Tech and a master of business administration from University of Virginia.