LayerZero Power Systems Appoints Patrick Taylor as Chief Executive Officer and Rich Cochran as Chief Financial Officer
STREETSBORO, Ohio - (12/18) - LayerZero Power Systems, a leading manufacturer of mission-critical power distribution equipment, has announced the appointments of Patrick Taylor as Chief Executive Officer and Rich Cochran as Chief Financial Officer, strengthening the company’s leadership team as it continues to expand operations and support growing demand across data centers, AI, and industrial markets.
Taylor joins LayerZero with more than two decades of experience leading highly engineered manufacturing and technology-driven businesses. An engineer by training, his background spans electronics engineering and industrial manufacturing engineering, with leadership roles across automotive, oil and gas, petrochemical, and other complex industrial sectors. Prior to joining LayerZero, Taylor held senior leadership roles at companies including Rockwell Automation, IDEX Corporation, and TH Holdings. “LayerZero operates at the intersection of engineering excellence and one of the fastest-growing markets in the world,” Taylor said. “What stood out to me immediately was the strong culture that Milind Bhanoo and Jim Galm built more than 20 years ago. Partnering with them, and with Advent International, creates a real opportunity to take a great company and make it even stronger, while continuing to serve customers as a trusted partner.” As CEO, Taylor will focus on advancing LayerZero’s customer-centric approach, expanding engineering capabilities, and supporting innovation aligned with the rapid growth of data centers, AI-driven computing, and evolving power architectures. He cited close customer collaboration and organic innovation as key drivers of the company’s long-term strategy, including preparing for future shifts in power system design. Taylor succeeds Milind Bhanoo, who co-founded LayerZero Power Systems alongside Jim Galm in 2001 and helped lead the company for more than 24 years. Under Bhanoo’s leadership, LayerZero grew from a two-person startup in Northeast Ohio into a globally recognized provider of high-reliability power systems serving mission-critical environments worldwide. Bhanoo will continue to serve as Vice Chairman, Board Member, and Co-Founder. Alongside Taylor, Rich Cochran joins LayerZero as Chief Financial Officer, bringing extensive experience supporting high-growth, private equity-backed manufacturing businesses through periods of transformation and expansion. Cochran grew up in southeastern Ohio near Wheeling, West Virginia, and began his career with four years of service in the U.S. Air Force, including assignments in Germany and Albuquerque, New Mexico. After earning his accounting degree, he spent approximately 12 years at Ernst & Young before transitioning into senior finance leadership roles at Hexion, Borchers, and Polymer Solutions Group. Across those roles, Cochran led the build-out of finance organizations, supported acquisitions, implemented ERP systems, and helped guide businesses through successful exits. “My focus is on building a finance organization that supports the business as it grows,” Cochran said. “LayerZero has a strong culture and an exceptional team. Ensuring we have the right financial infrastructure in place allows our people to stay focused on innovation, quality, and serving customers.” The leadership appointments come during a pivotal year for LayerZero Power Systems. In 2025, the company entered a new phase of growth following its acquisition by Advent International, strengthening its ability to scale operations and invest for the future. That momentum includes the expansion of LayerZero’s Philipp Parkway facility in Streetsboro, Ohio, with an additional 120,000 square feet of manufacturing and engineering space scheduled to open later in 2026. At the same time, the company continues to hire across engineering, manufacturing, production, and operations, creating new opportunities for talent across Northeast Ohio. Together, these investments reflect LayerZero’s commitment to long-term growth, local job creation, and meeting rising global demand for mission-critical power infrastructure. About LayerZero Power Systems LayerZero Power Systems designs and manufactures advanced power distribution equipment for mission-critical applications. The company’s solutions are trusted by customers across data centers, financial institutions, semiconductor facilities, and industrial environments where reliability, safety, and uptime are essential.