Eastward Partners Fills CEO Positions for Aropha and General Trucking
March 12, 2026 – New York-based Eastward Partners recently assisted in the recruitment of CEOs for Aropha and General Trucking. The firm placed Tammy Deblock as CEO of Aropha, a Comeback Capital backed company. “Congratulations to the team for a great outcome and for entrusting us with this important search,” Eastward Partners said in a LinkedIn post. The assignment was led by Brian Ippolito and Kristi Clay (Kamesch).
Ms. Deblock brings experience working across international teams and global markets. Her leadership of diverse, cross-cultural groups has delivered meaningful improvements in performance and engagement, translating into improved operations and financial strength. As CEO of Aropha, Ms. Deblock focuses on guiding strategy, scaling operations, and driving organic growth while partnering closely with customers, the board, and its team. Previously, Ms. Deblock served as director of product management and application engineering at NeoGraf Solutions, LLC.
Aropha is a Cleveland, OH-based environmental testing and materials technology company that provides biodegradability, compostability, and ecotoxicity testing services for businesses developing sustainable products. Founded in 2021, the company combines laboratory testing with digital modeling, robotics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate how materials break down in natural environments and to help companies assess the environmental impact of new formulations during product development.
Eastward Partners also placed Chris Meers as the new CEO of General Trucking, an Advantage Capital backed company. The search was led by Brett Vecchio and Ms. Clay. Mr. Meers is a results-oriented problem-solver with strong business acumen and effective communication & collaboration skills.
In his new position with General Trucking, Mr. Meers is responsible for full P&L across dedicated, regional, shuttle, and brokerage operations leading strategic growth initiatives in automotive, manufacturing, and time-sensitive freight.
Previously, Mr. Meers was president and chief operating officer with Sewell Motor Express. Prior to that, he was executive vice president of sales and services with Cheeseman Transport. Before that, Mr. Meers was COO of Prime360. Earlier in his career, he spent over 20 years in various roles with XPO Logistics.
General Trucking Inc. is a Warren, MI-based transportation and logistics company that provides freight and supply-chain services to businesses across North America. Founded in 2006, the company operates as a carrier, transportation broker, and freight forwarder, offering services such as less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload (FTL) shipping, expedited transportation, and warehousing.
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Eastward Partners is a venture backed, retained executive search, and human capital consulting firm with offices in New York City, Miami, Chicago, and London. It was founded with a focus on delivering talent acquisition solutions that lead to immediate and sustainable results within PE, PE backed, and privately held organizations. Approached through the lens of strategic human capital management, the firm partners with clients to optimize core business functions essential to long-term value creation.
Eastward Partners’ portfolio of work is focused on retained mandates for leadership positions as well as the building of high performing teams. They are focused on building capabilities for clients within private equity, professional services and corporates.
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Mr. Ippolito, managing director, has over 17 years of executive search experience across growth-stage VC and PE-backed companies, specializing in GTM and C-suite roles. He leads searches for revenue-generating and customer-facing leadership positions—including chief revenue officers, chief marketing officers, and heads of sales and customer success. He plays a key role in mentoring junior talent and contributing to the continued evolution of Eastward’s tech-enabled platform.
Ms. Clay is a director at Eastward Partners, specializing in executive search execution for clients across private equity in the middle and lower middle markets and their portfolios. With her career in human capital solutions, she has partnered with leading sponsors and operators to place operating partners, board members, CEOs, CFOs, and senior finance and accounting leaders in high-growth, PE and PE-backed environments. Recent mandates include building finance leadership teams for manufacturing and distribution platforms and global SaaS businesses.
Mr. Vecchio, a partner within the private equity practice, has spent the past decade partnering with some of the world’s most prestigious private equity, venture capital, and financial advisory companies, advising on a widespread area of human capital and talent engagements. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, he joined forces with founder and managing partner, Joe Carbone, to help start Eastward Search Partners.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
