SALT LAKE CITY — FamilySearch International announced Wednesday that President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Brimhall is retiring and Stephen T. Rockwood has been selected to take his place starting Oct. 1.
In addition to being president and CEO of FamilySearch, Rockwood will serve as managing director in the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the main sponsor of FamilySearch. Rockwood most recently served as director of the international division at FamilySearch.
"Steve is an extremely capable, experienced and respected leader with an immense passion for our mission and our people," Elder Allan F. Packer, a member of the LDS Church's First Quorum of the Seventy and FamilySearch chairman of the board, said in a press release. "As president and CEO, Steve will bring a rich combination of management skills, customer focus, business acumen, and a can-do spirit that will build on the vision and work of Dennis Brimhall."
Prior to joining FamilySearch, Rockwood specialized in creating unique service offerings for worldwide customers of such brands as MasterCard International, AT&T, Disney, Office Depot, and Citibank among others. He also started two companies that were later acquired by larger companies. He graduated from Brigham Young University and earned an MBA from the University of Colorado. He has also served in several leadership callings in the LDS Church.
Brimhall was named CEO in 2012 and led FamilySearch during a period of great innovation and growth in the genealogy industry.
"I join the board in my deep appreciation for Dennis' leadership, customer focus and vision for what FamilySearch is and can become," Rockwood said in a press release. "We look forward to building on the vital groundwork he has laid with continued innovation."