Eric Ashleman

Eric Ashleman became president and CEO of IDEX Corporation in 2020 after serving as COO. IDEX operates a portfolio of highly specialized industrial businesses organized around fluid handling (pumps, valves, flow meters), health and science (analytical instrumentation, fluidics for life sciences), and fire and safety equipment. The company's hallmark is its decentralized operating model — each business unit operates with significant autonomy while benefiting from shared capital allocation discipline. Ashleman's leadership style emphasizes the "80/20" principle: focusing resources on the highest-value products and customers while pruning lower-margin activities. Under his watch, IDEX has maintained operating margins above 25% and delivered consistent double-digit returns on invested capital. He has continued the company's disciplined M&A strategy, acquiring complementary niche businesses that fit IDEX's criteria of market leadership, differentiated technology, and recurring revenue streams. His capital allocation decisions — balancing organic investment, bolt-on acquisitions, dividends, and share repurchases — are the primary drivers of IDEX's premium valuation in the industrial sector. The company's exposure to water infrastructure, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and semiconductor fabrication gives it structural growth tailwinds that Ashleman is positioning IDEX to capture.