Board of Directors

Brian Krenke

President & Chief Executive Officer, KI

Brian Krenke has been at the helm of Green Bay-based KI as President & Chief Executive Officer since 2018.  With over 30 years of experience at KI, Brian has held leadership positions across various departments, including sales, product management, vertical markets, and marketing. 

He is dedicated to building upon the KI customer experience at every touchpoint of the cycle, and over the years has evolved the company’s go-to-market strategy to include new distribution methods and more sustainable practices. He was instrumental in transitioning KI to an employee-owned organization and has helped forge partnerships with industry giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, cementing KI's standing as a premier partner in the industry. 

Beyond KI, Brian actively contributes to the business community.  He is a member of Vistage, the Northeast Wisconsin Executive Committee.  Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for BIFMA, the association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers.  Brian’s commitment extends to the Do Great Things Initiative, a program that empowers students at Green Bay West High School by removing financial barriers to higher education.  

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside of work, Brian enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on his Wisconsin Badgers. 

Randy Mehl

President and Chief Investment Officer, Stewardship Capital Advisors, LLC

Randy joined the KI board of directors in 2024. Having begun in technology development, Randy has enjoyed a successful career in the public and private equity investment areas. He currently serves on the boards of directors for Insperity, ICF International, Inc., and Kforce, Inc., and has previously served on several private company boards and on the investment committee for several funds.  Randy is also president of Stewardship Capital Advisors LLC, which manages a family office fund primarily focused on investments in business and technology services.

Randy is an expert at analyzing, acquiring, and selling businesses, and brings knowledge of technology integration, outsourcing, and cybersecurity to his role on the KI board of directors.

He earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BSBA from Bowling Green State University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Randy lives in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area where he and his wife Rebecca, raised their three daughters.

Chris Woleske

President, Emplify Health - Bellin Region
 
Chris Woleske has been President of the Bellin Region of Emplify Health since December 1, 2022, following the merger of Bellin Health and Gundersen Health Systems into Emplify Health. 

With over 25 years of experience at Bellin Health, including serving as CEO, Chris brings extensive leadership expertise in strategic planning, building partnerships, and developing leaders. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the Wisconsin Hospital Association Board of Directors and the Marquette University Board of Trustees. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School, and has completed the Executive Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. 

Chris resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She has two adult children: Matthew Woleske, a Law Clerk for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Frank Dallet, and Gabrielle Naumann Woleske, a freelance UX Designer and Researcher in Vienna, Austria.

Rita Cox

Retired, ProAmpac

Rita joined the KI Board in 2015 and was highly involved in the transition of KI from a private company to an ESOP entity. She has a long employment history in manufacturing and executive leadership, and recently retired from her role with ProAmpac as the President of the $1B ProAmpac Extrusions Division. Prior to ProAmpac’s purchase of Coating Excellence International (cei) in December 2014, Rita was its President & CEO. With both of these companies, Rita’s previous experiences were leveraged in the acquisition of numerous companies, identifying the targeted companies, and often leading the due diligence and integration teams. Rita’s leadership style relies heavily on engaging employees in creating stakeholder value and meeting commitments through alignment, policy deployment, lean principles and empowerment. 

Rita had previously worked for Reynolds Packaging as the President of Presto Products, involved in private label packaging for the consumer market. She also had been with Phillips Electronics and Amcor in various roles both in the US and on special assignments in international locations. 

Once her children were raised, Rita earned her Bachelor’s degree in three years while working full-time. In addition to being a full time Grandmother, she is a volunteer with the hospice Agrace, and provides support for terminally ill individuals and families in the program. 

Jim Wier

Retired, Briggs & Stratton 

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jim began his career at Arthur Andersen, during which time he passed the CPA examination. He later joined Briggs & Stratton, serving for 25 years as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations.

The next step in his career led him to Simplicity Manufacturing, a manufacturer of riding lawn mowers, snow throwers and Snapper lawn and garden products. Under Jim’s leadership, the company grew from $100 million to $300 million in revenue. Active in lawn and garden industry issues, Jim was elected Chairman of the Board of The Outdoor Power Equipment industry trade group. 

Private equity owners of Simplicity sold the business to Briggs & Stratton. Jim then became an Operating Partner with Kohlberg & Co. where he participated in acquisitions, board memberships and CEO of company owned businesses.

Jim retired in 2013 and has served on the Spacesaver Advisory Board since 2010 and the KI board since 2024. He also serves on the KI compensation committee.

Jim and his wife Carolyn live in Mequon Wisconsin and have six grandchildren and three adult children; Brittany[ Indiana University, teacher], Jon[Wharton, University of Wisconsin Law School, attorney], Jason [Indiana University,CPA].

Jerome E. Smyth

Board Chairman

From 2006 to 2017, Jerry Smyth was the Senior Vice President-General Counsel of Schreiber Foods Inc., where he was responsible for representing the corporation on all legal matters which included providing legal interpretation and guidance to business leaders, defending the company against legal claims and representing the company in claims against others. 

Jerry joined Schreiber from the Green Bay law firm Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry.  During his career in private practice, which spanned more than 20 years, Jerry provided commercial and transactional counsel to a wide range of business and banking clients. He joined Liebmann Conway in 1986 and was named a partner in 1989. 

Currently a member of the Board of Directors for The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Inc., Jerry also formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay from 2006 to 2018 including as President from 2012 to 2013.

Jerry holds a law degree and bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Dan Mahlik

President & Owner, Duet Resource Group

As Owner and President of Duet Resource Group, Dan has leveraged over 30 years of experience in the furniture industry to guide the company to significant success across Iowa, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. With a proven track record in client-focused solutions, Dan drives innovation in commercial design and furniture solutions. Under his guidance, Duet continues to excel at delivering cutting-edge solutions that complement every industry the company serves. 

Throughout his extensive tenure associated with KI, Dan has steadily advanced through increasingly significant roles, contributing his insights while demonstrating a consistent commitment to innovation and excellence. Under Dan’s leadership, he has played a key role in developing, refining, and evolving KI’s Distribution Agent model, ensuring that the network of Distribution Agent’s operations align with and support KI’s strategic goals.  

Dan has been a member of KI’s Board of Directors since 2010, where his knowledge continues to contribute to the company’s strategic direction. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Organizational Communications with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Outside the professional sphere, Dan is committed to his community, engaging in non-profit work alongside his wife, Michelle, and investing in development projects within the hospitality and senior living sectors.