People On the Move - August 11, 2023

LEDVANCE (Wilmington, MA)

Vivian Lee-Lauss is now the head of global brand management, according to a LinkedIn post. She has been with LEDVANCE for five years.

Classic Wire & Cable (Virginia Beach, VA): Theodore “Theo” Ryan joined the company as an inside sales representative and will be based out of the company’s distribution center in Katy, TX. He has more than six years of customer service experience in various industries and will be the focal person for Classic Wire to its regional manufacturer sales representatives and local distributors.

Champion Fiberglass (Houston)

Christopher Kissel (photo above) has joined the company as CEO. He brings a wealth of experience in the oil and gas and natural resources sectors, along with experience as a field engineer with ExxonMobil, and as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs. Kissel received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his engineering degree from McGill University.

Goran Haag, current president and founder, will serve as executive chairman and concentrate on special projects. He will maintain ownership of Champion Fiberglass. Champion Fiberglass veteran Scott Patchan continues to lead sales and marketing efforts, advancing to VP of sales and marketing.

Haag founded Champion Fiberglass in 1988. In its 35-year history, the company has innovated, advanced the industry, overcome challenges and achieved numerous milestones. Haag said in the press release, “Champion Fiberglass has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years adding product lines, innovating and growing. We are excited to see Christopher move the company forward with fresh ideas, new initiatives and dynamic leadership.”

Pharos (London)

Thomas Ladd will be retiring from his role of International Sales Director after 14 years with the company. He helped establish the sales, support and distribution strategy for Pharos in the Americas and for growing the company’s global sales to where they are now. Ladd will be staying connected to Pharos as a consultant, leading special projects and advising on new market development in the Americas.

To provide continuity of leadership for the sales team, Mark de Gruyter has agreed to take on the mantle of sales director – initially on a temporary basis. In this new role, de Gruyter will be responsible for the sales strategy of all Pharos-branded products, worldwide. In his current role as regional manager for EMEA, he has overseen a seven-fold increase in Pharos sales in his region. De Gruyter will be based in London, helping him foster a close working relationship with the Pharos leadership team.

Shat·R·Shield (Salisbury, NC)

The company promoted John McKeithan to director of operations and Douglas Adkins to controller.

McKeithan will be responsible for all procurement, manufacturing, maintenance and warehouse operations. Since joining Shat·R·Shield Lighting in 2010, he served several roles including maintenance manager and industrial engineer. Prior to his employment at Shat·R·Shield Lighting, McKeithan served in other roles of increasing responsibility and authority. He holds numerous certificates in industrial electronics, industrial electricity, electrical safety, fiber optics and more. He also served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, where he traveled the world as a master chief electronics technician/master saturation diver.

As controller, Adkins will be responsible for all accounting activities, business analysis and corporate financial planning. Since first joining Shat·R·Shield Lighting in 2012, he has taken on increasing responsibilities in finance and has played a role in product development, product management and inventory control. Prior to joining Shat·R·Shield Lighting, Adkins accumulated more than 25 years in accounting, the last 13 in manufacturing. He is a CPA and a graduate of Appalachian State University.