Benchmark's New CCO Hire Signals a Major Strategic Growth Play

TEMPE, AZ – December 10, 2025 – Benchmark Electronics' recent announcement of David L. Cummings as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer is far more than a standard C-suite appointment. It is a calculated, strategic maneuver that signals a deliberate pivot towards accelerated growth, deeper customer integration, and a fortified supply chain. By recruiting a seasoned executive directly from industry titan Flex, Benchmark is making a clear statement about its ambitions as it navigates a carefully orchestrated leadership transition.

Cummings steps into the role effective immediately, succeeding David Moezidis, who has been promoted to President. This move is a critical component of a long-term succession plan that will see Moezidis assume the CEO position upon Jeff Benck’s retirement on March 31, 2026. The timing and nature of Cummings's appointment underscore a proactive strategy to inject new commercial leadership and momentum into the company well ahead of the final CEO changeover, ensuring a seamless and aggressive push forward.

A New Era of Commercial Leadership

The leadership shuffle at Benchmark is a testament to methodical, forward-thinking governance. Rather than waiting for the CEO transition, the company is preemptively strengthening its commercial engine. The selection of Cummings, an executive with over two decades of experience leading multi-billion-dollar businesses, is a clear indicator of the company’s intent to not just maintain but aggressively expand its market share.

In the official announcement, incoming CEO David Moezidis framed the hire in terms of strategic acceleration. “David Cummings embodies purpose-driven leadership and brings exceptional expertise that will accelerate our commercial strategy,” he stated. This is not the language of a caretaker appointment; it is the language of transformation. Moezidis further emphasized that Cummings’s track record in global manufacturing and customer-centric innovation would “deepen the customer-obsession culture that defines Benchmark.”

This focus on a “customer-obsession culture” is particularly significant in the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) sector. In an industry where contracts are large and partnerships are long-term, moving beyond a transactional relationship to become a deeply embedded innovation partner is the key to sustainable growth. Cummings’s mandate appears to be twofold: drive top-line revenue and embed Benchmark even more deeply into its clients’ value chains across its key verticals in medical, aerospace, industrial, and semiconductor capital equipment.

Importing the 'Flex Playbook' for a Resilient Future

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this appointment is Cummings’s immediate past. At Flex, he served as VP General Manager, where he was responsible for a portfolio exceeding $3 billion in revenue across 30 customers. His success there was not just in managing existing business but in actively launching and scaling new market segments—a skill set Benchmark is clearly keen to leverage.

Critically, Cummings’s experience includes orchestrating “supply chain regionalization to enhance resilience.” This specific expertise has never been more valuable. In the wake of global disruptions, from pandemics to geopolitical friction, companies across all high-tech sectors are re-evaluating their globalized supply chains. The trend towards regionalization, or nearshoring, is a direct response to the need for greater stability, predictability, and control. Cummings brings a proven playbook for this complex transition directly from one of the industry's largest players.

For Benchmark’s clients, particularly in the medical device and aerospace industries where delays and component shortages can have monumental consequences, a manufacturing partner with demonstrable expertise in building resilient supply networks is a powerful differentiator. Cummings's appointment is a direct signal to the market that Benchmark is not only responsive to this trend but is investing in top-tier leadership to master it. This proactive stance on supply chain strategy is a core part of its evolving value proposition.

A Tactical Shot in the EMS Talent Wars

Poaching a high-ranking executive from a direct competitor like Flex is a bold move that reverberates through the industry. The EMS sector is a highly competitive space dominated by giants like Flex and Jabil, and the war for talent is fierce because leadership expertise is a primary competitive advantage. This hire is as much a strategic acquisition of intellectual property and market intelligence as it is a personnel decision.

By bringing Cummings into the fold, Benchmark not only gains his commercial acumen and customer relationships but also sends a powerful message to the market, its employees, and its competitors: it is playing to win. Such a high-profile move can energize an organization and enhance its reputation as a destination for top-tier talent. It demonstrates that Benchmark has the ambition and the means to attract leaders who can drive significant growth.

This move suggests Benchmark is preparing to compete more aggressively for large-scale, complex contracts where deep operational and commercial leadership can tip the scales. Cummings’s experience in securing significant new bookings at Flex will be immediately put to the test as Benchmark seeks to capitalize on its recent momentum, which includes a third-quarter 2025 performance that surpassed revenue and earnings expectations.

Fortifying Value in High-Stakes Industries

Ultimately, this leadership change is about strengthening Benchmark's position as an indispensable partner in complex, high-stakes industries. For the company’s medical segment, which serves pharmaceutical and med-tech clients, the emphasis on a resilient supply chain and customer-centric innovation is paramount. These clients operate in a world of stringent regulatory oversight and zero tolerance for error, making the reliability of their manufacturing partner a critical business function.

Cummings's arrival, combined with Moezidis’s impending step-up to CEO, creates a new leadership dyad focused squarely on commercial execution and operational excellence. This alignment is designed to translate Benchmark’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities into stronger, more strategic customer partnerships.

As Benchmark heads towards 2026 under this refreshed leadership structure, the message is clear. The company is not merely continuing its legacy; it is actively building upon a strong financial foundation to launch its next chapter of growth. The appointment of David Cummings is not just the filling of a role but the ignition of a strategy, carefully designed to enhance resilience, deepen customer partnerships, and accelerate Benchmark’s trajectory in a dynamic global marketplace.