DEXKO GLOBAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Dexter
Adam Dexter joined Dexter in 1993 and assumed his current role in 2008. He is responsible for the overall vision, strategy, and execution of the company's growth and operational plans. Mr. Dexter has served in various management and executive roles with a steady and progressive increase in responsibilities, including Production Superintendent, Plant Manager, Director of Operations, and Divisional President.
He led the 2008 and 2009 restructuring efforts that effectively mitigated the economic downturn and continued profitability and positioned the company for sustainable growth. He was instrumental in leading Dexter during Tomkin's move from public to private and when the Sterling Group acquired Dexter.
He is active in industry trade associations and has served on the board of directors for The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association since 2010 and the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers since 2011. Mr. Dexter has a Bachelor's Degree from DePauw University. Mr. Dexter is the grandson of Leonard Dexter, who founded Dexter Axle Co. in 1960.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Human Resources
Danean Whipkey joined DexKo Global in May 2018 as Vice President of Human Resources, responsible for creating and driving a contemporary HR strategy that aligns with and reinforces DexKo's global vision and objectives. Danean has had the opportunity to work in nearly all areas of human resources in her career, including Compensation & Benefits, Training & Development, Operational and International HR, Organizational Development, and Corporate HR. Danean spent nearly 14 years with Maxion Wheels prior to joining DexKo, most recently on an international assignment as the Director, Global Compensation & Europe HR.
Danean has her Master's Degree in Labor Relations & Human Resources and her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Michigan State University.
Ed's 30 plus years of leadership responsibility has focused on increasing profitability throughout global and domestic organizations. As COO of DexKo Global, Ed's focus has been on driving cost improvements and positioning the company for future growth and increased profitability.
Prior to joining DexKo, Ed served as SVP North America, Haldex Brake Products Inc. Prior to Haldex, Ed led Motor Wheel CVS as CEO for 7 years. Ed is a 1984 graduate of Marshall University.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Position of President and Chief Executive Officer
Fred Bentley has held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of DexKo Global since January 2016. He oversees the Dexter Axle and AL-KO VT global operations. Additionally, he has served on Dexter's Board of Directors since 2014.
Fred has significant experience running global operations and growing businesses while working with world-class companies. Prior to joining DexKo, he was the CEO of Maxion Wheels, a $2.4 billion global automotive equipment supplier and the world's largest wheel company. He oversaw the $1.2 billion European operation and lived in Germany for three years prior to becoming CEO of Maxion. He held the position of COO and President of International Operations of Hayes Lemmerz, leading the company's sale process (to Maxion) and the divestitures of non-core businesses while significantly globalizing the core business.
Prior experience also includes six years running an international business with significant operational experience at Honeywell/Allied Signal and seven years in operations, finance, and strategy at Frito Lay. Fred has a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and attended the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Job Titles:
- President & CEO of AL - KO Vehicle Technology
Harald joined AL-KO VT in 1996. Since 2006 he has been responsible for all facets of the business. Harald has proven executive management and leadership track record with 25 years of experience driving profitable growth within fast-moving technology-driven businesses.
He has domestic and international experience in operations, P & L responsibility, new market identification, and strategic positioning for a multimillion-dollar organization.
Prior to his current role, Harald was Senior Vice President of Logistics and Production for AL-KO Vehicle Technology in Europe (1999 - 2006) and Vice President of the main plants in Koetz (1996 - 1999).
Harald started his career as Head of Production and Electronic Manufacturing at Mannesmann Tally and Technical Director of Heidolph Instruments before joining AL-KO VT.
He holds a diploma in Engineering and Business Administration from the universities of applied sciences in Ulm and Rendsburg (Germany).
Matt Hughes is the Chief Financial Officer of DexKo Global, responsible for leading the accounting, finance, and IT organizations. Matt has nearly 30 years of financial experience working for global public and private equity-backed companies.
Before DexKo, Matt was with IGT, a global leader in the gaming industry. During his 22 years with them, he held several leadership positions and most recently served as CFO for their International business. Other positions included Treasurer, CFO of the Products and Services segment, and Vice President of Business Evaluation.
Matt also served as Vice President and Treasurer of Nortek, a diversified manufacturer of air ventilation, security, and ergonomic products. Matt was part of the executive team responsible for the sale of Nortek in 2016. He started his career with the global IT consulting firm Gartner.
Matt has extensive international experience working and living abroad in Rome, Italy, and London, England. He has a BS in accounting from Central Connecticut State University and an MBA in finance from Bryant University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Business Development and Strategy
Scott Everly joined DexKo Global in October 2016 as Vice President of Business Development and Strategy. He is responsible for DexKo's global M&A strategy development, transaction execution, and strategic initiatives. Scott has over 20 years of experience in transactions, strategy, and finance, with experience in manufacturing, banking, and consulting. Scott joined DexKo from Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), an $8 billion publicly traded building products manufacturer, where he spent over 11 years focused primarily on mergers, acquisitions, and strategy. Most recently, Scott was a Director of Corporate Development, responsible for directing Masco's global acquisition and divestiture execution activities. During his time at Masco, Scott closed over 25 transactions, including the tax-free spin-off of Top Build (NYSE: BLD).
Steven Esau - Chief Legal Officer, VP
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Secretary
- Vice President
Steve joined DexKo Global in April 2019 and is responsible for DexKo Global's legal affairs worldwide. With over 30 years of legal experience, his primary areas of expertise consist of equity and debt financings, M&A, corporate compliance, and SEC reporting.
Before joining DexKo, he was Vice President and General Counsel of Maxion Wheels. His responsibilities extended beyond his primary function as legal to support the company's organizational needs in matters such as employee retention and office expansions. Before Maxion Wheels, Steve was SVP and General Counsel of Click2learn, Inc., a publicly-traded developer of learning management systems, where he had key leadership roles in the company's initial public offering and its merger of equal significance with a primary competitor to form SumTotal Systems, a market leader in the learning management space. Before Click2learn, Steve was in private practice with Stoel Rives in their Seattle, Washington location.
Steve received his J.D. cum laude and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.