The Ali Group, which acquired Springfield-based BUNN in March, has appointed a new president and CEO to lead the beverage equipment manufacturer.
Brad Willis, who is currently the chief financial officer of Ali Group, will take the reins at BUNN as of May 11, according to a statement from Chicago-based Ali Group.
As president and CEO, Willis will oversee all day-to-day operations at BUNN, according to the statement. He will report to Filippo Berti, chairman and CEO of Ali Group.
BUNN, Sangamon County’s largest manufacturer, had been owned by the Bunn family for five generations. The company announced in March that it had been acquired by Ali Group, a global foodservice equipment company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Willis will replace Arthur “Hy” Bunn, who served as president and CEO of the company from 1988 to March 2026, according to the BUNN website.
Willis has been CFO of Ali Group since 2018. He has been with the company since 2009 and has led “multiple acquisitions from due diligence through integration,” according to the Ali Group statement.
The Ali Group and its subsidiaries include more than 115 global brands that employ 17,000 people in 30 countries. This includes 80 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries.