Leading With Purpose
Our leaders are not your typical c-suite executives. They are engineers, veterans, product developers, and more. Their passion for the mission and desire to raise up new leaders are invaluable to Madison Safety.
Madison Safety’s Leadership Team
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Kristofer N. Howard
President & CEO, Madison SafetyRead Bio -
Ryan Norwick
Chief Financial Officer, Madison SafetyRead Bio -
Julie Comfort
Finance Director, Madison SafetyRead Bio -
Leah Textor (she/her)
Controller, Madison SafetyRead Bio -
Emilie Maheu
President & CEO, Amkus Rescue SystemsRead Bio -
Chris Lyons
President, Brooks Utility ProductsRead Bio -
Trond Sorlie
CEO, Fire Fighting SystemsRead Bio -
Ben van der Knaap
President & CEO, Holmatro IndustryRead Bio -
Shelly Elliott
President, Holmatro North AmericaRead Bio -
Bert Willems
President & CEO, Holmatro RescueRead Bio -
AJ Stolson
President & CEO, Hydra-StopRead Bio -
Bryan McGehee
President, ReelcraftRead Bio -
Don Morton
President & CEO, Task Force TipsRead Bio -
Kyle Smith
GM, Task Force Tips Domestic SegmentRead Bio -
Erik Ward
GM, Task Force Tips Health SegmentRead Bio -
Garland Bridgewater
GM, Task Force Tips International SegmentRead Bio -
Ben Rogers
President, TydenBrooks Security Products GroupRead Bio -
Raffaele Gerbasi
President, WATERAXRead Bio
High standards. High support.
We have high expectations of our leaders, but we also back that up by offering them the support and strong foundation they need to be successful. Our leaders can move confidently and swiftly because Madison Safety has their back. We champion leaders who are willing to try new things, move quickly, and take risks humbly, knowing that failure and setbacks are a part of growth. And when our leaders find their stride and impact their brands and industries, there is great reward in knowing we have made a difference in the world.
This is what success looks like.
We value industry expertise.
With a career in fire safety, Brian Podsiadlik, wasn’t sure if there were many opportunities outside of the firehouse. Then he discovered TFT, a Madison Safety brand that designs and manufactures fire hose nozzles. He soon realized TFT was an opportunity to take his real-world fire rescue experience and build a different career. His first position at TFT was on the manufacturing floor in quality control. Then he moved to sales, where he grew TFT’s Canadian territory, and finally landed in his current position as the Product and Training Manager.
“When I first climbed on the firetruck in March 2001, we had an old TFT nozzle hooked up to the hose line—it was probably older than I was. At the time I didn’t know much about TFT or the depth of the company, but I certainly cut my teeth on their products as a firefighter. Today, I’m passionate about the product because I know and understand it from a user’s perspective. The fact that I get paid to offer insight and feedback to TFT’s engineering and R&D departments is incredibly rewarding. I get to have a direct impact on firefighters all across the world, because I get to help make sure that TFT’s products are exactly what they need.”
Brian Podsiadlik
Product and Training Manager
Task Force Tips
We go at a different pace.
After thirteen years in the defense industry and five in the auto industry, Liz Maka made a change and joined Reelcraft, a Madison Safety brand. She expected the culture to be just as competitive, numbers-driven, and cutthroat as her previous jobs. But what she found was a culture built on relationships and support.
“The shift to Madison Safety was inspiring. Madison supports me with trust and autonomy. I was required to learn the team—not the business—of Reelcraft first. Goals to achieve business results were second to acclimating to the culture. The fact that I was given this gift of space to learn and build relationships in the first few months of my time on the team was like no training process I’d ever experienced. When I joined Reelcraft, I had a suspicion that it was where I needed to be. Soon, that suspicion turned into a deep belief and feeling of gratitude for this company and for Madison Safety. It’s a feeling I get to wake up with each and every morning.”
Liz Maka
General Manager—Distribution
Reelcraft
We put people first.
When Hydra-Stop became a Madison Safety brand in 2016, the Hydra-Stop leadership team was unsure how their small, tightknit team would adapt to working with a growth focused enterprise. What they found, however, was a support system that encouraged Hydra-Stop to focus on their team while benefitting from the advice, support, and guidance of Madison Safety.
“I knew we (Hydra-Stop) would rely on Madison Safety to help us achieve growth and success as a business. I just didn’t know how much Madison Safety would empower us to set the tone for what that looks like. With Madison Safety’s support, Hydra-Stop has become a people-focused company, striving to improve the lives of our employees as well as our customers. As we have continued to find new ways to support our team members in supporting their families, we’ve been fortunate enough to have had many of those family members join our Hydra-Stop team! Remarkably, Madison Safety has backed us every step of the way. They let us do things our way – they’re still letting us do things our way almost a decade later. And that’s a really great feeling as a leader, when I can do what’s best for my team and still have the support and trust of Madison Safety.”
AJ Stolson
President
Hydra-Stop
Grow With Us
Companies
There’s always room at Madison Safety for brands that are forward-thinking, innovative, and that help make the world safer. If your company develops products that bring a higher level of safety to your industry or area of expertise—and if you’re looking for support and partnership—then we’d love to hear from you.
Careers
We’re always looking for leaders who are loved by their teams. These leaders have grit, determination, and smarts. But most of all, they are humble, always seeking to elevate others. If this is you, we’d love to have a conversation.