Key Personnel
Curtis Maas
CEO and Chairman of the Board
Curtis Maas is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the RDI Group, which is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. The RDI Group provides highly engineered capital equipment and related products to customers worldwide in various industries including asphalt roofing, metal coil processing and road construction.
Mr. Maas began in the machinery business as a project engineer, and also worked as a market development manager focused on diversification of products and markets. Under his leadership, the RDI Group has grown to serve customers all over the world with a wide range of products and services. The company is committed to technical and design innovation, and offering the highest total value to its customers.
Mr. Maas holds a BSME degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is also a board member of a number of privately held companies, as well as various not-for-profit organizations.
Fred Kestler
President
Fred Kestler is President of The RDI Group. Mr. Kestler joined The RDI Group in 2007 and leads the day to day operations of the group’s business units. Prior to joining The RDI Group, Mr. Kestler was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at GE Capital, responsible for one of the equipment sales and leasing companies and for the Transport Technologies division.
Mr. Kestler’s educational background includes a BS in Information Systems Management and an MS in Management from the University of Maryland.
Joseph Gajc
Director of Marketing
Joseph Gajc is the Director of Marketing for both the Reichel & Drews and Chicago Slitter business units. Mr. Gajc leads the group's efforts to build global brand awareness, initiate new product launches, design and implement corporate strategies and support sales.
Mr. Gajc joined The RDI Group in 1994 and has since served in numerous leadership positions within the organization including Director of European Operations, International Sales Manager and Engineering Manager. Mr. Gajc holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Chicago and an MBA degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
Harald Jablonski
Purchasing and Supply Chain Manager
Harald Jablonski leads the purchasing and global procurement team with a focus on creating value by procuring superior parts and materials that are required to build into our high quality equipment and products. Mr. Jablonski is also responsible for the development of RDI's global sourcing capabilities, to insure that our equipment and products provide the best overall value for customers.
Gregg Menzies
Chief Financial Officer
Gregg Menzies oversees finance and accounting for all of The RDI Group’s business units. Mr. Menzies came to The RDI Group from Signode Corporation and has been a key member of The RDI Group’s executive management team since 1981.
Mr. Menzies’ educational background includes a BS in Accounting and Finance from Western Illinois University and an MS in Finance from the University of Illinois.
Jim Russell
Director of Chicago Slitter
Jim Russell is the Director of the RDI Group’s Chicago Slitter business unit. Mr. Russell leads the Sales, Customer Support and Engineering teams with focus on offering high value metal coil processing equipment that increases productivity. Before being named Director in 2003, Mr. Russell was Engineering Manager for Chicago Slitter and before that, a design engineer.
Mr. Russell’s educational background includes a BS in Engineering Technology and an MS in Industrial Management from Northern Illinois University.
Herm Ilag
Vice President of Operations, Human Resources and Safety
Herm Ilag is Vice President of Operations, HR and Safety for The RDI Group. Mr. Ilag joined The RDI Group in 2006 and leads the day to day operations of the group’s manufacturing, supply chain, engineering and human resources units. Prior to joining The RDI Group, Mr. Ilag was Regional Human Resources Manager of Supply Chain at Panera Bread, responsible for supporting seventeen Fresh Dough Manufacturing and Distribution plants nationwide.
Mr. Ilag is also an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Mr. Ilag’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree from University of Illinois Chicago and an MBA with a certification in Human Resources Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
Tom Ziegler
Director of Engineering
Tom Ziegler is Director of Engineering for both the Reichel & Drews and Chicago Slitter business units. He is responsible for leading the RDI Group’s talented engineering team and maintaining the company's ongoing commitment to provide highly engineered and innovative equipment to our customers.
Tom joined the RDI Group with over 19 years of project engineering, operations quality and management experience in the steel processing industry. Prior to his current position Tom was the Engineering Manager for Chicago Slitter.
Mr. Ziegler’s educational background includes a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University and an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.