Our Team
Jean has been in the heavy-duty lift industry for the last 34 years - the first 12 years with SEFAC and the last 27 years with Stertil-Koni. Jean has multiple academic degrees, including an MBA and MA from George Washington University and a doctorate from UMUC.
Jean will soon celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary and has a daughter who works for National Geographic. In his spare time, Jean works as a volunteer Docent for the Library of Congress and teaches a part-time graduate course at UMUC in international business.
As Chief Financial Officer, Tore brings over 20 years of high level financial and operational management expertise as well as corporate policies, Human Resources, Information Technology and risk management to Stertil-Koni. In his role, Tore leads all financial aspects of Stertil-Koni including accounting practices, budgeting, financial planning, interface with the financial community and monitoring of financial performance as well as overseeing all operational aspects of the company. Tore ensures the continued success by promoting sound financial judgment and decision making. Tore has broad international experience and has successfully lead business turnarounds, implementing tough cost management initiatives, exploiting new growth opportunities, acquisitions, mergers, strategic planning and organizational development.
Prior to joining Stertil-Koni, Tore has held various positions such as Accounting Manager for KPMG and Director of Business Development and Chief Financial Officer in several print and online publishing companies. Tore also has extensive experience from managing partnerships, subsidiaries and investments and has held many board of director positions and has been serving as The Chairman of a number of companies. Tore holds a Master of Science In Business and Financial Economics from BI Norwegian Business School and a Management Program from The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.
Peter’s current role at Stertil-Koni is as technical sales support manager. In this capacity, Peter integrates with distributors and end users providing technical support for the full range of heavy duty lifting products offered by Stertil-koni. Over the past 14 years, he has also filled the technical roles of service manager, parts manager as well as the general manager. Peter put himself through college as a heavy truck and automobile technician. It is from this mechanical repair foundation that his skills developed to serve the heavy duty lifts industry. Peter is a graduate on the Dean’s list from Morgan State University with a major in business administration and a minor in computer science.
Paul is a recognized marketing expert whose career spans 25 years in top corporate and agency posts. Of note, his background includes building and managing highly focused teams dedicated to delivering high-performance, interdisciplinary marketing campaigns with a keen focus on enhancing brand equity while delivery measurable ROI utilizing a combination of legacy as well as new media. Prior to his role at Stertil-Koni, where he heads all marketing functions, he served as president of his own Marketing and Advertising agency and was a First Vice President at American Express, where he oversaw all marketing activities for the company’s international bank. Paul is frequent guest columnist, the recipient of the Gold Quill from the International Association of Business Communicators, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Harvard Business School. He is an avid sports and music enthusiast as well as youth soccer coach.
Kevin has over 28 years of management experience in the areas of Supply Chain, Distribution, Materials, Logistics, and Fiscal operations. He has worked in the Machinery Manufacturing, Chemical Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, and Direct to Consumer industries. In addition to these fields, Kevin served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps obtaining the rank of Major and has a B.S. in Physical Sciences from the U.S. Naval Academy. He spends his spare time with family while camping, enjoying water sports, working on his vehicles and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Kellie is a highly experienced marketing professional who currently serves as Administrative Sales Manager for Stertil-Koni. Her range of activities is expansive and includes website management, search engine optimization, preparing company submissions for bid opportunities, liaison with Regional Sales Managers as well as the company’s extensive Distributor Network in North America, overseeing and monitoring state and GSA bids and contracts, and finalizing copy and design for product literature. Kellie is also responsible for managing the logistics associated with Stertil-Koni’s presence at national, regional and local trade shows throughout the U.S. Further, Kellie works closely with Stertil-Koni’s parent company, located in Holland, to ensure continuity of corporate marketing and messaging.
Christine works part-time at Stertil-Koni assisting the Accounting Department and helping out with administrative duties. She gained an extensive background in Sales Support as well as traditional office administration while working for T. Rowe Price and a local accounting firm. Christine received her Bachelor Degree in Psychology from Frostburg State University and has lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with her family for more than 20 years.
Robyn has worked at Stertil-Koni for over eight years as the Warranty Coordinator. She has extensive knowledge of all the Stertil-Koni products. Previously she worked at Black and Decker for 28 years as a warehouse supervisor. Robyn’s experiences included part distribution, inventory and warehouse management. Robyn has used these experiences to distribute parts to the customers and distributors efficiently.
Hans serves as Stertil-Koni’s Service Manager. In this capacity, he provides technical support, equipment troubleshooting assistance, vehicle lift installation oversight and heavy duty lift equipment training for company distributors and their customers. In addition, Hans administers and delivers technical equipment training and development programs for Stertil-Koni distributors and service providers.
Hans joined Stertil-Koni as Service Technician in 2015 and brings an extensive technical background, a keen eye for problem-solving and a very practical familiarity with hydraulics and vehicle lifts to his position.
Prior to Stertil-Koni, Hans worked in the automotive industry for more than five years and taught college-level automotive classes. He also speaks Spanish. His mechanical expertise, insight, and skills further enable Stertil-Koni to deliver the very best in customer care – every day.
Cindy is Accounting/Office manager at Stertil-Koni. During her time here, she has continually looked for ways to improve efficiency in the business process to better serve our customers. Originally from Michigan, Cindy received her Associates Degree in accounting from Oakland Community College.
Jill is an experienced writer and marketing professional who serves as a Marketing Associate for Stertil-Koni. She brings an extensive background in journalism, social media, advertising, marketing strategy, website content and communications management to her post. Jill received her Associates Degree in Communication Arts Technology-Media Production from Anne Arundel Community College and her Bachelor of Science, Fine Arts & Communications in Mass Communications and Broadcasting from Towson University. In addition, she completed graduate courses towards an MBA in Marketing from Grand Canyon University. She resides in Annapolis, Maryland, with her dog, Jackson, and is actively involved in the great outdoors, the arts, sports and history.
Matthias is the Sales Manager Heavy Duty In-ground Lifts for Stertil-Koni USA. Having an extensive engineering background he specializes in providing architects, engineers, and facility planners with technical details, drawings and other relevant documentation to facilitate the design process. He also assists distributors and customers/users of Stertil-Koni products with sales presentations, demonstrations and other sales related information. Matthias has more than 14 years’ experience in the vehicle lifting industry, having worked for a European lift manufacturer, first as a design engineer, and later as a sales engineer. He is a graduate of Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (Germany) and also studied at the University of California Berkeley.
Devin Leahey serves as a Warehouse Associate for Stertil-Koni. In this role, Devin assures that all incoming/outgoing deliveries are loaded and unloaded properly at the Stertil-Koni warehouse in Stevensville, MD. His other responsibilities include organizing, examining and repackaging parts, materials, and lifts.
Leahey also has experience as a laborer, carpenter and as an insulation installer in the construction industry. In his spare time, he enjoys skateboarding and playing guitar.
Paul joined Stertil-Koni in August 1998 after a 26 year career in the United States Air Force. Paul’s military career included work in administrative management, logistics, and operations. Paul finished his military service at Ft George G. Mead, MD, serving as an Instructor in the Defense Courier Service where he was part of the team that developed the curriculum for the Defense Courier Service Training School. Initially, Paul jointed Stertil-Koni as the Office Manager when Stertil-Koni operated out of a one room office in Ellicott City, MD and as the company grew he moved into his current position as Operations Manager. He is responsible for processing equipment, accessory orders and arranging logistics. Paul has an Associate Degree in Administrative management from the Community College of the Air Force.
Tammy is the Accounting Administrative Assistant at Stertil-Koni, based in the Accounting and Financial Department in Stevensville, MD. She comes to Stertil-Koni with an established background in administrative sales support – most recently working in the promotional/high end gift field. She has lived on Kent Island for more than 30 years with her husband and children. Tammy always enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and participating in a local bowling league.
Brian brings extensive experience to the Eastern Region Sales Manager position. He served previously as a very successful Manufacturer’s Representative for 18 years with McIndoo Associates. There, he developed and grew direct sales relationships, worked with distributors and focused primarily on the sale of a line of vehicle lift products. Brian plans to use his previous experiences to build stronger relationships with his customers and distributors here at Stertil-Koni.
Brian has an Associate Degree from the State University of New York Farmingdale and has attended Suffolk College with a focus on Construction Engineering. He resides with his family in Huntington, New York.
Nick, who has worked in the Stertil-Koni warehouse and the service department, made the transition to the Operations Department as Logistics Specialist. Nick earned his Associates Degree in Business Administration from Chesapeake College and a Bachelors in Business Management at UMUC, while working for Stertil-Koni. He lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his fiancé and his son. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting and fishing.
Michael is a service technician here at Stertil Koni USA. His previous service technician experiences have included A.B.Dick printing press manufacture co. and Conveyor Handling Co. Michael is a graduate of Rets College of Technology where he studied industrial electronics. He also is a graduate of Maryland Electric League. His expertises in industrial electronics are important here at Stertil-Koni due to the ever increasing electrical and technological advances made to the lifting systems.
Rick has been involved in industries associated with heavy vehicle lifting since the early 1980’s. Following service as a Field Artillery Officer stationed in Germany and subsequent domicile in Germany, he earned his pilot’s license and took a position as Chief Pilot for a large European bus operator. That company purchased an American bus company in Santa Fe Springs, CA and he eventually was sent back to the US and was tasked to be a liaison because of his German language skills. This position was parlayed into representing first Neoplan, USA as a VP Sales and then as CEO of LAGUSA, Inc.. In all positions, vehicle lifting solutions were required.
In 1989 Rick took a position with Automotive Resources, Inc. (ARI-Hetra) and served in various positions for 23 years. Rick has a daughter and a son and four grandchildren. He enjoys travelling to Europe yearly and is still flying Vintage aircraft and driving Vintage cars. Rick’s success and dedication to the principle of ‘Customer First’ caught the attention of SK over the years and the move to SK was an easy transition. Ricks’ motto is that even if one is on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.
Joanna is a CAD Drafter at Stertil-Koni and brings 15 years of direct, hands-on experience in the construction industry – including estimating, quality control, surveying, layout, and jobsite administration – to her position. Joanna’s post is an especially critical one at Stertil-Koni, given the company’s tremendous growth in its award-winning in-ground lifting systems. Joanna originally hails from Lebanon, Kentucky, received an AAS degree in Architecture from Anne Arundel Community College and lives in Arnold, Maryland with husband Dave.
Radu Pop is the Business Development Manager for Stertil-Koni USA. With a decade of industry experience, he brings an extensive knowledge of maintenance facility operations, technician safety, and recommended practices across a wide variety of fleet types - from trucking and public works to major transit enterprises to his post. On a daily basis, Radu works closely with Regional Sales Managers and top leadership at Stertil-Koni to advance fleet sales - notably truck and bus fleets - and simultaneously support the efforts of the company's National Accounts team.
Billy joined Stertil-Koni as a service technician in January 2015. In this capacity, Billy handles the technical and service needs for our distributors and customers in the NY and NJ areas.
Billy has spent more than two decades in the service business – nine years in the automotive industry, five years in building maintenance, and seven years as an owner/operator of an independent service company. Billy has worked extensively with hydraulic systems as well as electrical and electro-mechanical systems, and is an expert at reading and interpreting schematics. His field experience, coupled with his quick troubleshooting skills, make Billy a very knowledgeable and trusted service technician at Stertil-Koni.
Ron is a seasoned vehicle lifting pro who brings substantial expertise to his position as Western Regional Sales Manager.
Previously, he served as a factory-direct regional sales manager in vehicle lifts, targeting industries that included mass transit, fire departments, utility companies, airports, school districts, and the U.S. Military.
Ron attended Houston University and resides near Los Angeles, California.
Rawn brings more than 33 years of Sales and Sales Management experience to Stertil-Koni. This experience has served him well in his capacity as Regional Manager for Stertil-Koni with the responsibility for managing the territories of the Central US and Western Canada. Rawn has spent his entire 33 years with three companies all of which are manufacturers providing capital equipment to the transportation industry. Rawn served over eight years as Marketing Manager with Star Machine and Tool Company followed by 13 years as both Regional Sales Manager and National Sales Manager with Sefac Lift and Equipment and is currently in his 12th year in his current capacity with Stertil-Koni USA. Rawn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from St. Cloud State (MN) University with major emphasis in both Marketing and Economics. Rawn resides in Shoreview, MN with his wife Toni and three children.
Jacob Rosendale serves as Service Technician for Stertil-Koni. In this role, Jacob handles technical and organizational duties at the Stertil-Koni warehouse in Stevensville, MD, to help support the needs of company distributors and end users.
Jacob has dedicated his professional career to the service industry and has strong experience in: diagnosing and repairing heavy duty equipment; sales and inventory management; electrical installation; HVAC technology; as well as manufacturing and assembly. He has a Diploma in Diesel and Industrial Technology from the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Exton, Pennsylvania. During his studies, Jacob’s determination was celebrated with the UTI Excellent Attendance Award and the Student of the Course Award. His experience, focus and breadth of technical knowledge make Jacob a key contributor at Stertil-Koni
Bill is Parts Manager her at Stertil-koni and is responsible for procurement and distribution of spare parts for the entire Stertil-Koni product line. Bill has been Parts Manager with Stertil-Koni since January, 2006. Bill came to Stertil-Koni with many years of experience in parts distribution. Most recently as Parts Manager for a Ford Dealership and before that with several large industrial companies as Parts manager for industrial parts and hardware. Bill is a high School Graduate who also holds Adult Continuing Education Certificates in Computer Programming and Blueprint reading.
Jim Sylvester is the Vice President of Sales at Stertil-Koni for the Midwest region, New England States, and Eastern Canada. Jim was instrumental in Providing Omer USA, the innovator of the parallelogram style platform lift, an organized marketing strategy to introduce this lift in the United States before he joined Stertil-Koni in 1998. Jim’s vast knowledge of the heavy duty lift industry has been responsible for the account development and sales activities of several major companies including the Chicago Transit Authority. His role also includes the retention of the assigned accounts in conjunction with account management. Jim creates and maintains a pipeline of potential customers. He prepares and delivers sales presentations to prospective customers and represents Stertil-Koni at trade association meetings. Jim reviews market analysis to determine market needs and pricing strategy that will contribute to the long term growth of the company.
He actively support PAWS assisting wounded warriors, an organization providing service dogs to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. In his free time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, playing sports, and spending time with his family.
Nathan is an experienced marketing professional serving as a Marketing Associate for Stertil-Koni. He comes from a background in the nuclear power generation industry, bringing skills in trade show coordination, brand development, strategy, client relations, and project management. Nathan received his Bachelors of Science degree in Finance from the Sigmund Weis School of Business at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. He currently resides in Annapolis, MD where he enjoys boating, photography, and playing ice hockey.
Dave is seasoned logistics professional who currently serves Stertil-Koni’s Warehouse Manager, responsible for overseeing a dedicated team that receives and transports the company’s growing product line to Distributors and customers throughout North America. He has been with Stertil-Koni for 8 years and previously served for two decades in the airline and transportation industries. Dave and his wife live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, have been married 20 years and have a 13 year-old daughter.
