Ventura Partners Recruits CEO for Carbitex
November 9, 2021 – Executive search firm Ventura Partners has assisted in the recruitment of Rob Langstaff as the new chief executive officer of Carbitex, a manufacturer of flexible carbon fiber composites. He replaces CEO Ron Boninger who recently retired. Bob Damon, a partner at Ventura, led the assignment. “Rob is an exceptional and engaging leader with deep footwear expertise and a focus in performance products,” said Junus Kahn, founder of Carbitex. “His extensive experience spans brand, operations, product and global retail that will bring fresh perspective and insights to continue to elevate Carbitex in the global marketplace.”
“Rob has a unique combination of scrappy, entrepreneurial start-up experience, coupled with a proven track record of scaling global footwear brands,” Mr. Damon said. “His partnership with the founder and existing Carbitex team will accelerate their next phase of growth.”
With over three decades of experience in the performance footwear industry, Mr. Langstaff began his career working for more than 16 years at Adidas, including executive roles at Adidas Japan, where he grew the brand’s market share.
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In early 2006, Mr. Langstaff returned to the U.S. to assume the role of president of Adidas North America. He returned to international business in late 2013 to work as senior vice president of Asia-Pacific/Latin America for Brooks Running and, most recently, worked as vice president of International Business at Keen Footwear for four years.
Carbitex, based in Kennewick, WA since its inception in 2012, was born from the idea that pioneering advanced materials drives human ingenuity. Its patented carbon fiber composites have uniquely flexible characteristics. With three distinct technology platforms, Carbitex is now focused on the performance footwear market and partners with top brands like Adidas, Scott, DC Shoes and Lake Cycling.
Top Recruiters
Ventura Partners offers particular depth in recruiting senior leadership talent for private equity-owned and owner / founder-run companies, and sports management concerns. The firm specializes in recruiting CFOs for private equity-owned companies, C-level executives for consumer and retail companies and directors of athletics, coaches and administrators in professional sports organizations, colleges, and universities. The firm, which was founded in 2010 by Julie Ford, maintains offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta.
With over 30 years of search experience, Mr. Damon has been a senior strategist recruiting for boards and C-suite executives on organization and talent management issues. Although he has recruited CEOs for well-known organizations like Oakley, Under Armour, Levi Strauss & Co., Burger King, and the National Football League, he has spent the last 15 years focused on talent acquisition projects in small and mid-sized private equity-backed companies as well as in companies with existing strong founder-inspired cultures. He is a former top executive with Korn Ferry and Spencer Stuart, where he spent 25 years in C-level operating roles.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
