Robert (Bob) Sobolewski
President and CEO, Bob Sobolewski Consulting LLC
Chair, Board of Directors, Connecticut Business & Industry Association
Robert (Bob) Sobolewski offers company leaders and their management teams valuable insight and advice gained during his 30+ years of hands-on experience in guiding a complex engineering and manufacturing company to record profitability.
In 1984, Bob joined the then $6 million U.S. subsidiary of global fan and motor manufacturer ebm-papst. During his rise to President and CEO of the company, he oversaw its engineering, production, sales and marketing activities in North America and internationally. He actively championed the company’s GreenTech philosophy and goal: to make every new product better than its predecessor in terms of economy and ecology.
Under Bob’s guidance, ebm-papst Inc. grew to a $250 million operation through a number of disruptive shifts in core markets. He helped the company acquire suppliers, build relationships with OEM customers and distributors, and construct an advanced manufacturing center/headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut.
In addition to running U.S. operations for ebm-papst, Bob negotiated and managed the siting, building and opening of an ebm-papst subsidiary in Ireland to serve the ventilation and motor needs of U.S. companies doing business there.
Bob is vice chair of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA), the policy voice of 10,000 state businesses. He serves on the board of several privately-held companies across the U.S., including New Britian, Connecticut-based Okay Industries. A frequent advisor to electronics manufacturers and distributors, Bob serves as a board member with the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) Foundation.
Bob’s strong belief in the value of science, technology, math and engineering to our region’s workforce and our nation’s economy is reflected in how he gives back to economic development initiatives and educational programs. Read more here.
