Leadership

Your Performance Team

Valence is led by a team of industry powerhouses in special processing, with decades of exceptional surface technology expertise. Their goal is simple – to provide every customer around the world with best-in-class quality, delivery, and value.

Chris Celtruda

Chief Executive Officer

  • Former CEO and Member of Board of Directors at Kellstrom Defense
  • Other Experience: President of Industrial Products at Gardner Denver.; Vice-President of Aerospace at CIRCOR International; and Director of Aerospace Controls and Engine Systems at Honeywell Aerospace
  • Member Board of Directors of the Southern California Aerospace Club, GEOST, and Heinz Engineering LLC
  • An accomplished executive leader with over 30 years of experience driving strategic business growth with full P&L ownership for technology-intensive business units of up to $1.25 Billion in annual sales.
  • Expertise: Executive Team Development, Organic Business Growth, Business Execution, Merger, Acquisition and Integration, Change Management, Global Business Customer Relationship Management, Lean Manufacturing / Operations Transformation.

Adam Cohn

Chief Financial Officer

  • In his current role as CFO at Valence Surface Technologies since September 2022, Adam oversees all finance and accounting functions, providing financial leadership for 10 operating companies. His responsibilities span financial planning and analysis, treasury management, accounting, tax, insurance, investor relations, and IT.
  • Prior to his role at Valence Surface Technologies, Adam worked at Triumph and held the position of Treasurer and Head of M&A, Company Officer for a publicly traded aerospace engineered products supplier from 2020 to September 2022. During this period, he played a pivotal role in successfully refinancing the company amidst the challenges posed by COVID-19. Adam executed multiple transactions totaling over $1 billion, which included removing credit facilities, raising new bonds, asset-based lending, and equity. His strategic initiatives also included implementing robust cash flow forecasting and working capital management programs to ensure sufficient liquidity. Notably, Adam executed over 20 M&A transactions with a cumulative enterprise value of nearly $1.5 billion, contributing to debt reduction and positioning the company at a significantly higher trading multiple. His involvement extended to advising the CEO on portfolio shaping and strategic execution, showcasing his expertise in financial strategy and corporate governance.
  • Adam’s professional journey includes serving as Vice President/Head of Corporate Development (M&A) from 2017 to 2020, where he led development for TGI and oversaw the acquisition and divestiture function. Additionally, he held the position of Vice President of Finance for the Interiors Business Unit in 2016-2017, managing the financial oversight of a $300 million business with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, and Mexico. In this role, he directed accounting functions, oversaw the budget and forecasting process, and served as a strategic business partner to senior management.

Patrick O’Connor

Chief Commercial Officer

  • CEO – Atlas Specialty Products
  • Board Advisor to the Desser Group – Graham Partners, Liberty Hall Capital Partners, STAR EnviroTech, Inc., and PAS MRO
  • Executive VP of Global Sales & Marketing – Wencor Group
  • VP Sales & Marketing – Permaswage, Limited Partner Bridgepoint Capital plc.
  • President / CEO – Sargent Fletcher, Inc. and VPGM Cobham Mission Systems
  • VP Engine Systems & Accessories – Engine Platform Solutions for Honeywell Aerospace
  • VP Air Transport – AlliedSignal Aerospace
  • Graduate of the Thunderbird School of Global Management (MBA)
  • B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arizona
  • Expertise: Aerospace & Defense, OEM & Aftermarket segments, growth leadership, private equity, mergers & acquisitions

Andy Brandenburg

VPO

  • Former Vice President in Aerospace and Defense at AMETEK
  • Other experience: General Manager at Circor, Pratt & Whitney various engineering, operational and general manager roles
  • +25 years business leadership experience
  • MBA and BS Aeronautical Engineering
  • Expertise: Team Development, Lean Manufacturing / Operations Transformation, Organic Business Growth, Merger, Acquisition and Integration, Change Management

Chris O’Neill

VPO

  • Former President and COO of Mecaer America, Inc.; Head of Integrated Aircraft Systems Mecaer Aviation Group, General Manager of Heroux Devtek; and Executive Vice President of NMF Global.
  • Graduate of Dawson College with BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • An accomplished executive managing various aspects of aerospace operations, from integrated aircraft systems to landing gear and aerostructures. His extensive experience in leadership roles across different companies highlights his versatility and contributions to the aerospace industry.
  • Expertise: Global Operations Management, Leadership and Accountability, Regulatory Compliance, Strategic Planning and Execution and Aerostructures Management.

Patricia Hamrick

Chief Human Resources Officer

  • Former Global VP, Human Resources for Howmet Fastening Systems (formerly part of Alcoa), with responsibility for 31 sites in 11 countries and over 7000 employees.
  • Prior experience with Johnson & Johnson Consumer as Worldwide Director of HR for the Neutrogena franchise. Later, Director of HR for J&J Consumer Supply Chain, North America/Latin America.
  • Former Director of Human Resources at Raytheon Technologies.
  • Former VP, Human Resources with Pacer International, a legacy XPO Logistics company.
  • Serves on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Region.
  • Graduate of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
  • Expertise: Aerospace, defense and logistics end market experience, consumer products, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), organizational transformation.

Simone Fickenworth

Vice President Quality Assurance and Compliance

  • 25 years of quality and compliance experience in the aerospace industry
  • Other experience: Quality Manager- Chrome Plus
  • Expertise: continuous improvement, aerospace, quality assurance, and quality systems

Tudor Lupea

Executive Vice President Corporate Development

  • 10 years of M&A and corporate development experience in the aerospace industry
  • Former Corporate Development and Strategy of PCC, Precision Castparts 
  • Other Experience: Corporate Development at Noranco, M&A at MNP
  • Expertise: M&A, strategy and business development, financial analysis, and modeling

Cory McGraw

  • Over 30 years of experience in aerospace manufacturing in the fields of engineering, Quality Assurance and Environmental, Health & Safety
    Metal finishing facility and process design/build, qualification, and OEM approvals
  • Successes in sustainability, efficiency improvements, and worker/community risk reduction
  • Expertise: Regulatory Compliance, Hazard Mitigation, Lean Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Continuous Improvement, Laboratory & Chemical Processes

Christine Caruso

  • Over 20 years as an executive assistant in aerospace and defense
  • Accomplished office manager and executive assistant focused on deploying her project and team management capabilities for global aerospace and defense technology businesses.
  • Coordination of C suite executive teams and ensuring that Private Equity (PE) Board of Director engagement expectations are exceeded.
  • Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chris Celtruda at the ATL Partners PE sponsored investment in Valence Surface Technologies (CST) of El Segundo, CALIFORNIA.
  • She coordinates the activities of the entire VST C Suite Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and key customer partner events including the annual Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf Tournament outing.
  • Recognized for her contributions to ensuring executive team scheduling, travel, meeting planning and support of regional, national, and global marketing projects supporting the Southern California Aero Club, planning for the Farnborough, Paris and Singapore Air Shows, special events for clients, executive teams, and boards, as well as supporting overall company marketing and communications.
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