July 10, 2012 – Rehau's CEO of North American operations, Kathleen “Kitty” Saylor, stepped down from her position on July 1 after an 18-year career with the company. Saylor, who has served as Rehau North American CEO since 2006, and was the company’s VP of human resources from 2001 to 2006, has accepted a position in Bozeman, Mont. as the chief executive in residence of the Montana State University Alumni Foundation. Rehau North America’s former vice-president of marketing and sales, Christian
Fabian, has been appointed to the position of CEO.
July 10, 2012 – Rehau's CEO of North American operations, Kathleen
“Kitty” Saylor, stepped down from her position on July 1 after an
18-year career with the company. Saylor, who has served as Rehau North
American CEO since 2006, and was the company’s VP of human resources
from 2001 to 2006, has accepted a position in Bozeman, Mont. as the
chief executive in residence of the Montana State University Alumni
Foundation. Rehau North America’s former vice-president of marketing and
sales, Christian
Fabian, has been appointed to the position of CEO.
In her new capacity, Saylor will serve as a principal advisor to the university president, Alumni Foundation president and Innovation Campus
executive director in establishing programs to ultimately advance the
academic and research efforts of the University. Saylor is herself a
Montana native and 1982 graduate of Montana State University.
“This
transition marks a significant period in Rehau history, as we advance
from a time when the challenges of our economy prompted necessary shifts
in our core areas of business,” said Saylor. “With a background in
communications, organizational development and human resources, I was
able to apply the skills required for this type of change, and I’m proud
to have been able to steer Rehau into this new era of lean and limber
operation, with a focus on providing premium polymer-based solutions.”
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Fabian brings more than 20 years of experience working within Rehau
operations around the world, including in Germany, France and England. In 2005, he became director of Rehau North America’s industry business
division in Leesburg, Va., overseeing sales and marketing initiatives
for products serving furniture, appliance and other industry segments. Fabian was appointed vice-president of marketing and
sales in 2006, and in 2007 was promoted to the Rehau North American
regional executive board. In September of 2011, Fabian’s
executive management oversight was extended into Rehau’s construction
business division, when he became responsible for sales and marketing in
that division as well.
“Christian was the perfect choice as Rehau’s
next CEO, and as such, the handover process is progressing smoothly and
easily,” Saylor said. “The company’s focus has shifted toward growth
and strategic business development, and Christian lends an astute and
varied background in international business and sales management. He
will undoubtedly be successful in moving Rehau forward, having spent the
last seven years in North America analyzing market opportunities in the
U.S., Canada, Mexico and Central America, and understanding how best to
approach them from across all of Rehau’s product lines.”
“Kitty’s
stewardship over the past six years has created a solid foundation on
which to build, particularly as we now focus toward innovative ways of
selling across our business divisions,” said Fabian. “Understanding how
market demands can be met from among numerous product lines – whether
it be with edgebanding, gaskets and windows, or radiant heating and
cooling and geothermal – we will be positioning Rehau as a comprehensive
solutions provider to the industry and construction markets in North
America, Mexico and Central America.”
According to Fabian, in addition
to honing a cross-selling business strategy, his initial focus as CEO
will be to shepherd planned investment by Rehau North America in both
its construction and industry business divisions.
“While the economy
continues to recover, there is no doubt that increasing opportunities
for sales are out there, particularly in the rebounding construction
industry,” said Fabian. “It’s our job to be smart, be strategic and
apply a ‘comprehensive systems solutions’ method in our sales efforts,
which we’re more than capable of doing thanks to a wide-ranging product
offering. We’re also well-positioned to capitalize on current trends in
the North American construction market, where considerable investments
are being made in sustainable building technology. Growth in ‘green
buildings’ on both the new and retrofit construction side – particularly
in education and hospitality – will allow us to really shine, as we
have focused on the development of quality-driven energy-efficient and
renewable energy products for some time now. High-performance windows,
geothermal ground-source heat exchange systems and PVC-alternative
furniture components are just some of the many examples of these, and
our plan is to identify sales opportunities where combinations of these
solutions can best meet the requirements of a project.”
In addition to Fabian’s appointment as CEO, Rehau North
America’s management team now includes Terry Barnaby, who became vice-president of
operations and a member of the regional executive board as of
April 1. Barnaby brings 27 years of Rehau experience, having
served in various positions including plant manager at Rehau’s
manufacturing facilities in Sturgis, Mich., and Baie d’Urfé, Que., and,
most recently, as director of operations and technology for Rehau North
America. In his new role, Barnaby will oversee all North American
operations, facilities, purchasing and supply chain management.
Both
Saylor and Fabian will continue their outreach efforts as business
representatives in the Loudoun County, Va. area, including in Saylor’s
present role as the chairperson of Loudoun Laurels, and in Fabian’s
current board of directors positions with the Loudoun Chamber of
Commerce and The George C. Marshall International Center.
“Throughout
her entire 18-year career with Rehau, Saylor made remarkable strides
in promoting the Rehau brand and successfully establishing Rehau as a
good corporate citizen in our community,” Fabian said. “I am deeply and
personally committed to ensure that this legacy is preserved.”
“I have lived and worked in Loudoun County for 18 years, and see myself
continuing to play a role here,” said Saylor. "I have developed an
amazing circle of professional colleagues and friends, as well as a
strong attachment to the community. While I am delighted to be going
back to my roots in Montana, some part of me will always remain in
Virginia and of course, with Rehau.
Related links
www.rehau.com
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