KI names new CEO, Resch becomes board chairman

Krenke

Brian Krenke is the new CEO of KI, replacing Dick Resch, who has been the company’s CEO since 1983. Resch will assume the title of executive chairman and chairman of the board.

Krenke joined KI in 1991 as a sales engineer and, through the years, moved into various senior leadership roles at the company. Since 2010, Krenke has served as the company’s president, overseeing KI’s day-to-day operations, including sales, marketing, and product design and development. Krenke has also managed operations for the KI subsidiary Pallas Textiles.

“I am honored to take on the mantle as KI’s next CEO,” Krenke said. “Dick is a legend within the contract furniture industry, and I have been privileged to learn a great deal working alongside him for nearly three decades. I am excited about KI’s future and look forward to leading the company into a new era of growth.”

Under Resch’s leadership, KI grew from a modestly sized maker of folding chairs and tables into a global manufacturer with nearly $700 million in annual sales and almost 3,000 employees.