Alex Molinaroli

Alex Molinaroli (also known as Alex Adrian Molinaroli) (born October 7, 1959) is an American business executive, investor, advisor, and philanthropist. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson Controls from 2013 to 2017, overseeing a period marked by portfolio restructuring, operational realignment, and strategic transformation of the multinational industrial company.^[1]

After retiring from executive leadership, Molinaroli shifted his focus toward supporting energy technology startups, education, workforce development, institutional governance, and civic engagement.^[2] His philanthropic and advisory efforts have emphasized strengthening engineering education, leadership pipelines, and long-term institutional capacity, including a significant commitment to the University of South Carolina, where the College of Engineering and Computing was renamed the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing in 2024.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Early life and education

Molinaroli was born on October 7, 1959, in Parkersburg, West Virginia. During his early years, his family moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where his father worked as an engineer, contributing to Molinaroli’s early exposure to technical fields and applied problem-solving.

He attended parochial primary and secondary schools and graduated from Bishop England High School in 1978. Molinaroli received a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship to attend the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he was admitted to the university’s Honors College.^[6] He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1983.

While employed full-time, Molinaroli later completed a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.^[7] His graduate education broadened his technical foundation with formal instruction in leadership, finance, and global operations.

Career

Johnson Controls

Molinaroli joined Johnson Controls in 1983 and spent more than three decades with the organization. His early career involved leadership roles in controls systems and services sales and operations, with responsibilities across North America and international markets, including oversight of business operations in the Middle East.

In 2007, Molinaroli was appointed President of Johnson Controls Power Solutions, the company’s battery division.^[8] During this time, the business expanded investments in advanced battery technologies, vertical integration, and battery recycling, while growing its global manufacturing and supply-chain footprint.

In January 2013, Molinaroli moved into Johnson Controls’ corporate leadership as vice chairman and subsequently succeeded Stephen Roell as chairman and chief executive officer.^[9] As CEO, he led the company through a period of strategic restructuring that included divestitures, spin-offs, and portfolio realignment to sharpen the company’s focus on building technologies and energy solutions.

In 2016, Johnson Controls completed its merger with Tyco International, forming Johnson Controls International plc, an Ireland-domiciled parent company. Molinaroli retired from Johnson Controls in September 2017, concluding a 34-year tenure with the organization.

Post-CEO work, advisory roles, and investments

Following his retirement from executive leadership, Molinaroli stated that he deliberately chose not to pursue additional corporate leadership roles. Instead, he has worked as an independent investor and advisor, concentrating on mentorship, early-stage investment activity, and advisory support for founders, educators, and institutional leaders.

His mentorship and advisory work has largely involved executives and founders in energy-related and technology-focused companies, particularly in the western United States, including the Seattle and San Francisco Bay Area regions.

Molinaroli has described this phase of his career as focused on applying experience, time, and resources to initiatives with long-term societal value, especially in education, leadership development, and workforce readiness.

Philanthropy and civic engagement

University of South Carolina

A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Molinaroli has maintained a long-standing relationship with the institution. In June 2024, the university announced that its College of Engineering and Computing would be renamed the University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing following a $30 million commitment initiated by Alex Molinaroli and his wife, Kristin Ihle Molinaroli.^[10]

University leadership indicated that the gift would support the development of new high-demand academic programs, recruitment of students and faculty, enhancement of facilities and equipment, and research initiatives aligned with regional and national workforce needs. The investment is intended to strengthen the college’s role in driving economic development and technological innovation in South Carolina and the broader Southeast.

Beyond financial support, Molinaroli has remained engaged with college leadership through advisory participation and student mentorship. The naming of the college recognizes multiple generations of the Molinaroli family, including relatives who were first-generation engineering graduates at the university dating back to the 1930s.

Workforce development and education initiatives

Drawing on his experience in global manufacturing and operations, Molinaroli has identified workforce readiness as a key constraint on economic growth. During his tenure at Johnson Controls, he supported partnerships with universities and technical schools to address shortages of trained technicians and engineers, linking education to operational capability, leadership development, and organizational diversity.

He has stated that engineering education provides not only technical training but also fosters problem-solving discipline, collaboration skills, and long-term career mobility. His education-focused philanthropy has included support for first-generation college students, particularly at the University of South Carolina.

Additional philanthropic activity

In addition to higher education, Molinaroli has supported a range of healthcare, social services, and community-based nonprofit organizations. These have included involvement with New Hampton School, where his wife, Kristin Ihle Molinaroli, also serves as a board member; the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Meta House, an addiction treatment and recovery organization based in Milwaukee.

Molinaroli has also stated that he provides confidential financial assistance to individual students, primarily focused on tuition support. These efforts are typically conducted without public attribution.

His philanthropic and civic engagement has been primarily concentrated in South Carolina and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where much of his professional career was based and where his children were raised.

Boards and organizational affiliations

Molinaroli has served in governance, advisory, and leadership roles with several civic, educational, and industry organizations, including:

Milwaukee School of Engineering (regent and board involvement)
Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County United Way (board member and 2015–2016 campaign co-chair)
Johnson Controls Foundation (director)
Interstate Batteries (board member)
Battery Council International (board member)
Electrification Coalition (founding member)
Palmetto Nuclear Council (board member and co-chair, Executive Leadership Council)

His board service has primarily focused on education, workforce readiness, energy, and community development.

Views on leadership and public life

In interviews and public remarks following his retirement, Molinaroli has emphasized the continuity of responsibility beyond formal authority. He has stated that while titles and compensation may change, the obligation to support the success of others remains.

He has also discussed the long-term nature of reputation in public life, noting that leadership is ultimately measured by mentorship, institutional contribution, and cumulative impact on individuals and communities over time.

Personal life

Molinaroli is married to Kristin Ihle Molinaroli and has five adult children. He has been reported as residing in Marathon, Florida. He has described retirement as a period of sustained activity focused on family, mentorship, education-centered initiatives, and civic involvement.