esponsible for global efforts including P&L, operations, marketing, sales and customer relations in all market sectors, including cosmetics, household, pharmaceuticals, food industry and the technical industry.He will report directly to the Board of Directors and Private Equity firms of J. Burke Capital Partners and Emil Capital Partners.“Robert’s international success as a product innovator and cross-functional team leader will help accelerate VariBlend’s growth” said Eric Lauerwald, Managing Director of J. Burke Capital. Dr. Andreas Guldin, President and CEO of Emil Capital Partners also added, “Robert’s past successes to connect with customers and prospects are without peer, and his direct experience in providing packaging solutions will enable him to make an immediate impact.”
Most recently, Brands was President for the Lindal Group in the Americas with 4 plants. Until 2009, Brands was Managing Director of the Personal Care Division of Rexam, which included dispensing systems, make-up and home and personal care businesses. In that position he was responsible for P&L,
worldwide marketing and sales, operations and R&D. The Rexam division represented about $1B in sales, 25 sites worldwide, and about 11,000 employees in three business units.
Rexam acquired Airspray at 15x Ebit in 2006 and under Brands’ stewardship as President of Airspray Int’l, Inc. since 1998 and since 2004 as CEO of the Dutch public company, Airspray delivered consistent double-digit profitable growth. Airspray pioneered the use of mechanical, one-touch foam dispensers and popularized their use in a variety of personal care and household product market categories. Today, such foamers are used worldwide and are found throughout the typical consumer’s household.
Prior to joining Airspray in 1998, Brands was Vice President - Marketing of Kohler Plumbing Fixtures, Vice President - Marketing of Sterling Plumbing Group, Inc. (also a Kohler Company), Marketing Manager - Consumer Lighting, for Sylvania Lighting and Manager of New Consumer Products at Philips
Lighting Company.
