Steel Product Producers

Rippey to retire, Gates to step up as SunCoke CEO

February 23, 2024

SunCoke Energy Inc. announced the retirement of its current CEO and the appointment of a new leader on Friday.

Michael G. Rippey will be retiring as CEO and member of the SunCoke board, effective May 15. He will continue to serve as an advisor to the company.

Rippey has had a distinguished career in the steel industry, having served as chairman of the board, president, and CEO of ArcelorMittal USA. Prior to joining SunCoke in 2017, he was a senior advisor to Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal.

“We thank Mike for his outstanding service and substantial contributions to SunCoke,” said company chairman Arthur F. Anton on behalf of the board. “During his tenure, he significantly restructured and strengthened the organization and reduced SunCoke’s risk profile. Mike has been, and remains, a great asset to our company.”

Katherine T. Gates will take over as SunCoke’s new CEO in May. Since the start of 2023, she has served as president of the company, a position she will continue to hold alongside the chief executive role. Gates has more than 10 years of executive experience with the Lisle, Ill.-based company, and previously worked in the field of private law.

Regarding Gates, Anton said, “The board is pleased to announce Katherine’s promotion to chief executive officer as the result of a deliberate and well-executed succession planning process. … She is a successful leader with a strong execution orientation. She has the highest integrity and brings great energy to all she does.”

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. Since 2007, she has held various editorial and marketing positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills. In 2021, after a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel trade journalism, joining SMU in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.