In a new step in the evolution of its governance, Randon Companies announced the separation of the position of President and CEO, currently held by Daniel Randon. In the new configuration, as President-Director, he reinforces his institutional activities and establishes as his main mission the acceleration of the internationalization plan and the ESG and innovation agendas, considered central in the group's strategy, facing the changes in the business environment in Brazil and its strategic markets. The current Executive Vice President and COO, Sérgio L. Carvalho, takes over as CEO of Randon Companies, as from January 1, 2022.
The change is part of the company's professionalization plan and had been planned since 2019, when Daniel succeeded his brother, David Randon, who at the time took over as chairman of the Board of Directors. Even with the new demands that arose as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Randon Companies maintained the process of preparing its leaders and strengthening governance structures, to promote changes in their organizational structure, in a perspective of consolidating its leadership position, expansion and business perpetuity.
In the new structure, Daniel reports to the Board of Directors and continues to support the new CEO and the Group's Executive Committee, as well as leading the internal operational committees dedicated to the implementation of the ESG agenda, strategies for strengthening brand and reputation, and issues related to ethics and compliance. The areas of Institutional Relations and Corporate Communication continue reporting directly to the President-Director.
Digital Transformation and Sustainability
In just over three years, Daniel Randon, together with the company's leaders, accelerated the digital transformation of Randon Companies, bringing innovation and increasing business portfolios – one of its key objectives – to the center of the strategy, with visible results. This is the case of the setting up of new companies focused on innovation and technology, such as Randon Tech Solutions - RTS Industry, Randon Ventures, Conexo, R4 Digital and, more recently, Nione.
During this period, Randon Companies quickly incorporated new models of operations and investments, as well as modernized processes and took a leading role in promoting open innovation. Today there are more than 50 start ups connected to different areas of the company, like services, back office strategic projects, products and services. At the same time, the company advanced in its sustainability strategy, with the disclosure, in June this year, of the company's ESG Ambition, which brings together public commitments related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, innovative products and women's leadership.
With 72 years of existence, Randon Companies is advancing on a journey of transformation, investing in innovation for the development of new products and services, for the people and society, for the sustainability of the business and as a way to contribute to a more prosperous world.
New CEO leads Executive Committee
In the position of CEO, Sérgio L. Carvalho now leads the Executive Committee of Randon Companies and will be at the head of the group's four business divisions, including the Financial and Digital Services, which was not under his responsibility in the previous position. With this, Carvalho leads:
- Trailers Division, which includes all Randon Implementos operations;
- Fras-le Division, which includes the company and its controlled units. At Fras-le, Sérgio maintains the position of President and CEO;
- Auto Parts Division, which includes Castertech, Suspensys, Master and Jost Brasil units;
- Financial and Digital Services Division, which includes Randon Consórcios, Banco Randon, Banco Randon and R4 Digital, fintech created with 4all.
The corporate areas of Randon Companies also report to the new CEO, recognized for his deep knowledge of the sector and for his successful trajectory in management positions, many of them in the United States. The same applies to the units dedicated to innovation and technology: Randon Technology Center (CTR), Nione, Randon Tech Solutions - RTS Industry, Randon Ventures and Conexo.
In a recent expansion, the Company's Executive Committee is composed of:
Paulo Prignolato, Executive Vice President and CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
Daniel M. Ely, Executive Vice President and CTO (Chief Transformation Officer), also head of the Financial and Digital Services Division
Anderson Pontalti, Superintendent Director of the Fras-le Division
Ricardo Escoboza, Superintendent Director of the Auto Parts Division
Sandro Trentin, Superintendent Director of the Trailers Division
They all report to the new CEO, Sérgio L. Carvalho.
About Daniel Randon
Daniel Randon took over as President and CEO of Randon Companies in 2019 and became responsible for intensifying the company's innovation movements, with projects and investments ranging from the cultural transformation of the organization to industrial processes of units in Brazil and abroad. Additionally, Daniel accelerated the company's ESG agenda, focusing on initiatives involving Governance, Innovation and the Environment. Parallel to the business activity, he supports social projects in the communities where Randon Companies is present and actively participates in initiatives that contribute to the competitiveness of Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil, such as the presidency of the Superior Council of Transforma RS, a collaborative hub that connects companies, universities, government and society with the purpose of transforming the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
During his management, he carried out important movements of expansion and diversification of the business, adding 13 new companies in the period of two years. The result is observed in the organization's revenues, which, even with the challenges established globally, presented record numbers for five consecutive quarters now. On his 20 years in the company, he has held different management positions in various areas of the business, including the presidency of Fras-le and the Vice-Presidency of Randon Companies, where he also served as CFO (Chief Financial Officer).
In 2021, Daniel Randon was chosen the best CEO in Latin America, according to the Institutional Investor Research ranking, being the second consecutive year in which he is featured in the recognition of the international publisher. In line with the main international technological movements, Daniel instigates the transformation of business and the opening of new areas of operation. Examples of this are the creation of a Digital Business area, the formation of a fintech and the connection with start ups to develop new solutions, movements that placed the company among the 30 organizations in Brazil in the ranking of the main patent depositors in 2020, according to data from the National Institute of Industrial Property.
About Sérgio L. Carvalho
Since taking over as COO of the Auto Parts division in 2017 and as Executive Vice President of Randon Companies in 2020, Sérgio L. Carvalho has promoted relevant movements seeking the company's accelerated growth, with important acquisitions, expansion of the international footprint and product portfolio, as well as synergy gains among the business units in the group.
He was responsible for directing investments and creating the main area of disruptive product technology, preparing the company for the future, aligned with the megatrends of the segment, such as electrification, intelligent materials and embedded electronics - which has been positioning the organization among the world's references in technological innovation.
Sérgio also created an organization dedicated to Industry 4.0 concepts, accelerated the automation processes in the business units and encouraged the research focused on disruptive innovations also in this area, increasing the company's competitiveness in domestic and foreign markets, with greater competitive differentials.
As CEO of Fras-le, in recent years, Sérgio has intensified the strategies of capillarity of the business, which was fundamental for the sustainable and accelerated growth of the company, with several historical performance records, even in a year of great challenges. Cautiously, he built alternatives that enabled the maintenance of commitments and goals, bringing Fras-le to new heights in the market. In this context, the company presented, in 2021, the result of the development of the innovation area led by Sérgio, the Fras-le Smart Composites product line, an alternative to items originally made of steel, and Nione, a company created from the discovery of a new method for obtaining large-scale niobium nanoparticles, unprecedented solution in the world market, with transformative impact on the industry and created by the innovation area under his leadership.
Sérgio has served on boards of several companies in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, such as Vice President of Meritor (USA), CEO and President of Nelson Global Products (USA), President of Sypris Technologies (USA) and CEO of Fuwa Heavy Industries, a trajectory that contributes to the strategies of expanding the internationalization of Randon Companies.
