Crosby Appoints Desel CEO

August 21, 2019 - The Crosby Group has appointed Robert Desel as chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Since 2017, Desel has served as Crosby’s chief commercial officer, leading the company’s sales and marketing efforts and playing a key role in designing and implementing their strategy. Previously, he was a KKR industry advisor since 2011, working across KKR’s industrial portfolio companies. In this role, Desel spent considerable time working with Crosby across many functions.

“Crosby is an exceptional organization driven by the many talented and dedicated employees who comprise the heart of our company,” said Desel. “I am honored to take this position and serve as Crosby’s new CEO, and [am] excited by the many opportunities to enhance our business and continue our market leadership through industry-leading quality and customer service.”

“Robert brings a wealth of experience, and a unique drive and passion to this role,” said Peter Stavros, head of KKR’s Industrial Group and a director on Crosby’s board. “He has been an integral part of the management of Crosby since 2017, and has driven strong business performance and value creation through his involvement. We look forward to him continuing to lead the company forward in this new capacity and are confident that through his leadership and vision, we will be able to accelerate our progress at Crosby in driving innovation and serving our customers.”

Before his involvement with KKR, he led Terex’s construction equipment business for North America, South America, and Asia as well as their global aftermarket business. Prior to Terex, he served as a founding partner and the CEO of Carlisle & Co., a consulting firm focused on channel management and product support for industrial and automotive companies with blue chip industrial clients.