Executive Leadership Team

Jacob Thomas

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
The Carlstar Group

Jacob Thomas serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Carlstar Group focused on accelerating the profitable growth of the company through innovation, customer partnerships, and operational excellence. He leads the global organization of over 3,400 employees with 17 manufacturing and distribution facilities located across four countries.

Prior to joining The Carlstar Group in 2018, Mr. Thomas spent 27 years in executive roles in engineering, manufacturing, product management, marketing, and general management. With broad global experiences in the engineered industrial products sector, most recently, Mr. Thomas was Group President of CLARCOR’s Engine Mobile Filtration business. Mr. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University, and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

In his spare time, Mr. Thomas enjoys international leisure travel, experiencing different culinary creations and watching college sports – especially the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Max Narancich

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
The Carlstar Group

Max Narancich serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for The Carlstar Group and oversees the development of the strategic and tactical plans for business improvement, capital budgeting and investment processes, and financial management of the company.

Mr. Narancich joined The Carlstar Group in 2011 where he has served as Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and as the Vice President of Operational Finance overseeing all operational controlling and management of the global network. Prior to joining The Carlstar Group Mr. Narancich has spent 15 years in progressive Financial and Leadership capacities. Mr. Narancich holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of Arkansas.

In his spare time, he enjoys coaching his kid’s baseball and basketball teams.

Jonathan Mathews

Executive Vice President, Human Resources
The Carlstar Group

Jonathan (Jon) Mathews serves as the Executive Vice President of Human Resources for The Carlstar Group and is focused on developing a global talent strategy to help support the growth of the company. Mr. Mathews leads the global Human Resource function and helps foster a culture focused on safety, continuous improvement, talent acquisition, retention and building the best team for sustainable growth.

Mr. Mathews spent 28 years working for BASF / Englehard focused on the Operational and Manufacturing side of the business with support for security, training, Environmental, Health and Safety, and all management represented and manufacturing employee relations, as well as supporting the Commercial side of the business through strategy deployment, employee talent and acquisition, and development. Mr. Mathews holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Human Resources from Cleveland State University as well as a number of other certifications throughout his career.

In his spare time, he enjoys boating and making home-brewed beer.

Ashish Goel

Executive Vice President, Business Development and Strategy
The Carlstar Group

Ashish Goel serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for The Carlstar Group and leads the development and execution of global business development initiatives and strategic partnerships that target rapid global growth. He also integrates cross functional strategic planning for the global enterprise.

Mr. Goel brings with him over 20 years of experience and has served in a variety of roles in his career in the areas of Marketing, Product Management, Business Development, Sales, and profitability improvement. He was most recently the Business Director of a $400 million Construction Material and Fiber Bonding business with BASF. Mr. Goel holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Cornell University and Queens University as well as a Masters of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and holds two patents in manufacturing and distribution process innovation.

In his spare time, he enjoys traveling to different parts of the world, cooking different types of cuisines and experiencing different cultures.