RB Global announced a sweeping overhaul of its senior leadership structure aimed at accelerating growth and sharpening execution across its marketplaces, including Ritchie Bros. and IAA.
Under the new operating model, a centralized executive team will set enterprise-wide strategy while two specialized go-to-market teams will drive execution. The global IAA Inc. unit specializes in salvage transactions and is known for its digital technology applications for processing vehicles for marketplace transactions.
Chief executive officer Jim Kessler said the restructuring will allow the company to move faster and operate with greater clarity.
“Since becoming CEO, I’ve been laser-focused on setting the right foundation for our growth for another 50-plus years,” Kessler said. “With this structure, our teams are better positioned to drive strategy, improve efficiency, and deliver on the unique needs of each marketplace.”
New executive leadership structure at RB Global
At Ritchie Bros., Jake Lawson will lead North America sales as president and head of sales. Alongside him, RB Global has appointed Shiv Dutt its executive vice president and head of marketplace. They will work with Steve Steinberg, senior vice president of strategic management and decision support, to grow transaction volumes. Doug Rusch will remain executive vice president and head of strategic accounts and Rouse in North America, reporting to Lawson.
At IAA, Sam Wyant will head North America sales as executive vice president. David Rymarz will take on an expanded role as senior vice president and head of marketplace.
Several long-time executives will depart as part of the transition. Carmen Thiede, chief transformation officer and chief of staff, will retire after two years leading post-merger integration of Ritchie Bros. and IAA. She will stay on temporarily as an advisor. Jeff Jeter, chief revenue officer, and Randy Berry, head of IAA operations, will also retire.
Operations oversight will consolidate under Steve Lewis, chief operations officer. He will assume responsibility for IAA operations and oversee technology, led by Nancy King.
Finance chief Eric Guerin will take on global mergers and acquisitions and corporate development, while Christopher Carlson becomes chief accounting officer and Darren Watt, chief legal officer, will now report to Guerin.
In human resources, Drew Fesler will retire as chief people officer. Jen Schmit, currently executive vice president of global HR, will succeed him.
Kessler said the changes will enable faster decision-making, closer alignment with customers, and stronger collaboration.
“We’re grateful to the leaders who are retiring for their many contributions,” he said. “Our next generation of leaders knows exactly what to focus on 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.”
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