Horizon Global Corp., an international manufacturer of branded towing and trailering equipment, has announced the appointment of David Roberts and Maximiliane (Max) Straub to serve on its board of directors. Roberts and Straub will serve on the board’s Audit, Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees.
Roberts is current chair, and former CEO of Carlisle Companies, a diversified manufacturing company producing products for various markets, a position he held for nearly a decade. Prior to Carlisle, Roberts was chairman, president and CEO of Graco, a fluid handling system provider. His career began in the automotive industry, where he held various manufacturing, engineering and general management positions with The Budd Co., Pitney Bowes and FMC Corp. In addition, Roberts is currently a director on the boards of Franklin Electric Co., a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of products and systems focused on the movement and management of water and fuel, and SPX Corp., a thermal equipment and services provider. Roberts brings extensive experience and expertise in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
Straub is currently executive vice president for finance, controlling and administration, North America, and chief financial officer of Robert Bosch LLC, a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, a leading global supplier of technology and services. Straub joined Bosch in 1993, where she held positions of increasing responsibility with Bosch affiliates in the U.S., Germany and France, and eventually served as president of Bosch’s Chassis Systems Full Brakes division in North America from 2006 to 2010. She currently serves as chair of the board of Inforum, a professional organization focused on creating strategic connections to help advance professional women in Michigan and the Midwest. In 2017, she was appointed to the board of MTS Systems Corp., a leading global supplier of high-performance test systems and sensors. Straub’s extensive operations background and experience in the areas of finance, accounting, human resources, information technology, compliance, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions contribute to her international, automotive and leadership qualifications.
Commenting on the appointments, Denise Ilitch, chair of the board of Horizon Global, said, “We are exceptionally pleased to welcome Dave and Max to Horizon’s board. They both have impressive business backgrounds and we believe their public company and industry experience will support Horizon’s continued development and growth. We look forward to working closely with Dave and Max, and the Board is confident that their combined experience in optimizing operations and developing businesses internationally will be valuable to the company as we integrate our recent acquisitions and solidify our position as the leading solution provider in the global towing and trailering industry.”
The company also announced that David Dauch and Samuel Valenti III, currently directors on the company’s board, with terms expiring at the its 2018 Annual Stockholders Meeting, will not stand for re-election at the 2018 Annual Meeting.
Ilitch added, “On behalf of the Horizon board, I would like to thank Sam and David for their many meaningful contributions, insight and guidance since 2015. During their tenure, including Sam’s invaluable role on the board as co-chair, the company achieved many milestones, including its successful transition to a public company. We are extremely grateful for their commitment, leadership and outstanding service to Horizon Global.”
