When Kyle Fincher started as an intern at Circuit Breaker Sales in August 2011, he wasn’t sure if he’d pursue a career in the electrical industry. Now, 16 years later, Fincher has risen through the ranks at Group CBS to become operations manager at CBS ArcSafe. His journey is a prime example of how hands-on experience shapes strong management.
Each Step Leads to the Next
Fincher began his career as a mechanical engineer, working in breaker retrofit design, reverse-engineering obsolete components and commissioning them in the field.
“That early mix of design and field exposure gave me a practical understanding of how engineering decisions translate into real-world execution,” Fincher says.
Over time, he took on more responsibility — coordinating teams, managing projects, and resolving customer issues. “I was more interested in making the whole system work effectively than focusing solely on the design details,” he says.
To support his evolving career, Fincher completed his master’s degree in engineering management, which he credits with formalizing his approach to the job today.
“Starting in engineering gave me a solid technical foundation and an understanding of how design decisions affect field execution and safety,” he says. “Moving into roles that required coordinating between engineering, operations, and customers taught me how to prioritize, communicate clearly, and drive execution.”
Motivated by Real-World Impact
The culture and values at Group CBS, which focuses on teamwork, integrity, customers, performance, and accountability, encouraged Fincher to grow, learn, and explore opportunities.
“The companies value practical problem-solving, accountability, and doing things the right way for customers, which made it an environment I wanted to grow in long-term,” Fincher says.
Fincher’s experience at CBS led to a new role as special projects manager at CBS ArcSafe, where he was responsible for working with engineering, sales, and customers on key projects. The combination of hands-on engineering work, customer-facing responsibility, and cross-functional coordination prepared him for his current role.
“That role required balancing technical detail, operational constraints, and customer expectations daily, which is essentially the core of the operations function,” he explains.
Ensuring Reliability
To ensure that remote racking and remote switching products are manufactured with consistently high quality and performance, it’s important to build repeatable processes with clear ownership within the team. This way customers know they can trust CBS ArcSafe.
“In a safety-critical environment, dependability isn’t just a goal — it’s a requirement,” Fincher says. “That means aligning engineering, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams so that expectations are clear, execution is consistent, and issues are addressed before they reach the customer.”
He must also balance safety, quality, and efficiency in daily operations. While these priorities aren’t in perfect harmony every day, they’re always top of mind.
“The reality is that priorities shift, and my job is to recognize what needs attention now without losing sight of the bigger picture,” he says. “Safety is never negotiable. Quality is how we earn trust, and efficiency is what allows us to keep doing both sustainably. If something slips, we deal with it, learn from it, and improve the process. That’s how we keep safety and quality intact while still moving the business forward.”
Outside of work, Fincher recharges with the help of his two kids and a handful of fishing rods. An avid fisherman, he loves sharing his passion with his kids and watching them learn the skill.
When you’re ready to bolster electrical safety at your facility, contact Kyle and his team to discuss your needs.