RB Global announced leadership changes and senior management appointments, effective Sept. 1, to position the company for accelerated and consistent growth.
“Since becoming CEO, I’ve been laser-focused on setting the right foundation for our growth for another 50-plus years,” said Jim Kessler, CEO of RB Global. “With this go-forward structure, our teams are set up to focus on big-picture strategy and efficiency, while also strengthening how we can deliver on our commitments to each marketplace’s unique needs. We’re making it even easier for our partners to do business with us, helping them succeed, and setting ourselves up for strong, sustainable growth.”
RB Global’s senior leadership teams will provide strategic oversight, efficient scaling and promote best practice with functional support teams at the enterprise level, while two specialized, high-performing marketplace execution teams spearhead the go-to-market level. Keeping our go-to-market leadership close to customers and the verticals they operate in helps to maximize the speed and efficiency with which buyers and sellers can do business on our platforms, add value for our partners and position the company for a strong future.
Specialized marketplace leadership teams
Carmen Thiede, Chief Transformation Officer and Chief of Staff to the CEO, will begin her transition into retirement, following two years of relentless focus on critical integration work to help unlock the full value of the Ritchie Bros. and IAA businesses under RB Global. During this transition, Thiede will serve as a coach and advisor to the go-to-market leaders, using her expertise to help ensure a smooth handoff and continued momentum.
Under the new operating model, each marketplace will leverage the unified executive leadership team to set enterprise-wide vision, growth strategy and operational discipline, while empowering brand-specific go-to-market teams to drive execution tailored to their unique marketplaces. The go-to-market sales leaders – both of whom have been instrumental in driving performance alongside prior leadership – are already deeply embedded in their teams, strategies and relationships. Their proven expertise and continuity of leadership will help to ensure a smooth transition and position the business for growth in this next chapter, as Jeff Jeter, Chief Revenue Officer, begins his transition toward retirement and serves as a strategic advisor for the go-to-market leaders.
The Ritchie Bros. go-to-market teams will be led by Jake Lawson, President and Head of Ritchie Bros. North America Sales, and Shiv Dutt, who has joined RB Global as Executive Vice President and Head of Ritchie Bros. Marketplace. As leaders of the Ritchie Bros. business, Lawson and Dutt will work closely with Steve Steinberg, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Management and Decision Support, to drive gross transaction value growth within the Ritchie Bros. marketplace. Doug Rusch, Executive Vice President and Head of Strategic Accounts and Rouse in North America will continue in his current role, reporting to Lawson.
IAA’s go-to-market teams will be led by Sam Wyant, Executive Vice President and Head of IAA North America Sales, and David Rymarz, who will assume an expanded role as Senior Vice President and Head of IAA Marketplace.
“In addition to forming and deepening relationships by delivering on commitments, these teams will use data to guide decisions, make sure we’re meeting our goals, put our time and money where they’ll have the most impact, and track our progress so our partners get the full value out of our new way of working,” Kessler said. “We will continue to aim to overdeliver on our commitments to our partners, and provide them with the industry-leading platform to buy and sell assets in the verticals that we operate in.”
Realignment and centralization of enterprise support functions
Randy Berry, Executive Vice President and Head of IAA Operations, will be transitioning into retirement. Steve Lewis, Chief Operations Officer, will take on the responsibility of overseeing IAA’s operations in addition to his current responsibilities. As part of RB Global’s commitment to operational excellence, the technology team, led by Nancy King, Chief Technology Officer, will also now report to Lewis in his expanded role, helping to ensure platform enhancements are tied directly to operational priorities. Karl Werner, Chief Business Development Officer, will continue in his role leading the IAA International businesses, reporting to Lewis.
As part of the new organizational structure and priorities for the company, Eric Guerin, Chief Financial Officer, will assume an expanded role in addition to his current responsibilities, now also leading global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate development efforts, which will continue to report through Werner. Christopher Carlson, currently Senior Vice President, Global Controller, will become Chief Accounting Officer, and Darren Watt, Chief Legal Officer, will report to Guerin, helping to strengthen the connection between financial oversight and legal and regulatory compliance, including the environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting team.
Drew Fesler, Chief People Officer, will be transitioning into retirement. Jen Schmit, currently Executive Vice President, Global HR, will step into the role Chief People Officer and lead the company’s global talent strategies following Fesler’s transition.
"We’re evolving our already strong leadership position to emphasize sharper focus, faster decision-making and stronger collaboration," Kessler said. "We’re grateful to the leaders who are retiring for their many contributions in building the foundation we stand on today. Going forward, our next generation of leaders knows exactly what to focus on, how their strategies will drive consistent growth, and how to guide their teams to move with speed and unity – delivering greater impact for our partners and for the future of RB Global."