Following his receipt of an associate degree in electronics engineering in 1981, Leonard M. Pursell Jr. joined the staff of Besam, a Swedish automatic door manufacturing company. As a newly hired employee, Mr. Pursell troubleshooted circuit boards and controllers that regulated the doors’ abilities to open and close. Finding much success in his position, he became the department head, which subsequently led to further opportunities to help Besam grow and expand their operations. Notably, the chief executive officer of Besam honored Mr. Pursell as their Employee of the Year for 1988 in light of his esteemed work on a new sensor project. As a result, Mr. Pursell earned a personalized plaque, which he considers among the highlights of his professional career.
As his tenure with Besam continued, Mr. Pursell acquainted himself with and became a specialist in codes and compliance. Leveraging his knowledge, his expertise led him to serve in several departments within Besam, including the departments of government affairs, engineering and troubleshooting. As Besam rebranded themselves as ASSA ABLOY in 2001, Mr. Pursell remained with the company for an additional 13 years, having spend over 30 years with the company until he departed in 2014.
Following his tenure with ASSA ABLOY, Mr. Pursell joined Stanley Access Technologies LLC, where he currently serves as the codes and product compliance manager. He attributes much of his success to the mentorship of his many guides, including the vice president of technical services, Bruce Campbell. Mr. Pursell advises that Mr. Campbell always provided him with wonderful advice that allowed him to think from outside perspectives when he approached his work.
Additionally, Mr. Pursell excels as the president of the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers, with whom he has also served as a member since 1994. Alongside this feat, he is the section chair for power doors with the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. Previously, Mr. Pursell has chaired all four standards with the association, having also authored one standard himself.
Having held an affinity for the sciences since a formative age, Mr. Pursell was influenced by his father, who worked with hydrogen fusion at Princeton University. He decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, thereby leading him to the success he has attained to the present day. Looking forward, Mr. Pursell intends to continue working with Stanley Access Technologies, as well as various nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving equity for disabled populations.