Transtar Industries Inc.

Transtar Leadership

Transtar’s world-class leadership team represents some of the most experienced professionals in the industry. Comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and complementary skills, this team is a collaboration of talent.

Equipped in providing vital expertise and guidance to our company, these individuals share one passion – to uphold Transtar’s mission to our customers: Simplifying complex vehicle repair to keep the world moving.

Transtar Values

Transtar is proud to have an innovative culture with a highly skilled, diverse, and talented workforce. Transtar's core values are the foundational principles that guide our business every day.

Integrity.

Commitment.

Humility.

Respect.

Optimism.
to have an innovative culture with a highly skilled, diverse,
and talented workforce. Transtar’s core values are the foundational
principles that guide our business every day.
Integrity.
Commitment.
Humility.
Respect.
Optimism.

  • Neil Sethi President and CEO
    Neil Sethi is the President and CEO of Transtar Holding Company, LLC, a diversified distributor and manufacturer of high quality branded automotive products with over 80 locations and 1600 employees in North America.  Neil is a 15-year veteran of the automotive industry through progressive roles at Transtar and previously was the co-founder and CEO of Transmaxx, LLC a technology driven automotive parts distributor that was acquired by Transtar in 2017.  Neil serves as President of MURA Holdings, LLC a family office focused on direct investments in value add distribution, niche manufacturing, and technology businesses.  Earlier in his career, Neil was a healthcare consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.  

    Neil is Chair of the Board of Ahuja Medical Center and serves as Director for University Hospitals, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, University School, and is a member of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization).  His prior board appointments include Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Orchestra, and TIE Global.  He also previously served on For-Profit Boards of private businesses that were private equity owned of which MURA Holdings was a co-investor.  In addition, Neil is a member of Crain’s Business "40 under 40" Class of 2010. Neil received his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.  He obtained a Doctorate of Medicine from University of Cincinnati, and an MBA with concentration in Finance from Georgetown University where he was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. 

    Outside of work and philanthropic commitments, Neil enjoys spending time with his wife, Manisha and their three children.  Manisha serves as Director of Hathaway Brown School and Greater Cleveland Food Bank.  Neil's hobbies include music composition and distance running.
  • Joseph Levanduski Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer
    Joe has been with Transtar Industries a little over 2 years, however he has been in CFO and other finance/accounting roles for 35 years.  Joe brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position, having been CFO of two publicly-traded companies, including Hawk Corporation, a holding company of diversified, global manufacturing businesses that previously owned Wellman Products, a Transtar supplier. Over his fifteen year tenure at Hawk, which began as a two facility operation, Joe held various roles during its organic growth and acquisition phase before taking the Company public and ultimately selling Hawk to Carlisle Companies at the end of 2010. Most recently, Joe was EVP/CFO of A. Schulman, Inc., a $2.5 billion global manufacturer of high performance plastics before being sold to LyondellBassell.  Joe currently Chairs the Board of Robin Industries, a privately held global manufacturer of rubber components used in the OE automotive and medical markets with revenues of $100+ million.

    Joe Levanduski is a member of the 2003 Class of Leadership Cleveland as well as a 2011 inductee in Cleveland State University’s Business College Hall of Fame. He holds an MBA in finance from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Cleveland State University. Joe is a lifelong resident of northeast Ohio and resides in Bath, Ohio, with his wife, Cheryl who serves on the regional Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish organization, and their two school-age children, Matt and Emily.

OTHER EXECUTIVES

Tom DeMille is the Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Transtar’s U.S. and Canadian distribution business and is responsible for driving high-level growth. Tom, who graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a BS in Accounting, is a 26-year transmission industry veteran who began his career at Metran Automatic Transmission Parts, a regional transmission parts company in New York. Tom was promoted through positions of increasing responsibility with Metran until its acquisition by Axiom Automotive. During his tenure with Axiom he served as Regional Vice President and then joined Transtar from 2002 until 2013 where he served as Regional Vice President and then Vice President of Sales & Branch Operations. Tom became Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Transmaxx, LLC, a start-up transmission parts distributor until 2017 when Transmaxx was acquired by Transtar. Tom rejoined Transtar in 2017 at Vice President, Sales and Marketing. He is a member of the Ohio State Center for Automotive Research (CAR) External Advisory Board. Tom is married to Nicole and they have two children. His hobbies are golf, cycling and hockey.

Benjamin DePompei is the President of the CoverFlexx Group. Ben joined Transtar Industries, Inc. in April, 2012 as Executive Vice President, CHRO. Ben has had increasing levels of responsibility during his tenure including direct management of Transtar’s remanufacturing operations, Chief Administrative Officer & Legal, and management of former holdings Nickels Performance, Alma Products and ATCO. Additionally, Ben served as Interim CEO of Transtar upon emergence, while transitioning to the current management team. Currently, Ben serves as President of CoverFlexx Group which includes Transtar Autobody Technologies, Pro Form, and Aftermkt Armor brand.

Prior to joining Transtar Ben held executive leadership positions with privately-held E.P. Management Corporation (formerly Eagle Picher Corporation) for 15 years.

Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and Operations Management from The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business, and attended the INSEAD Global Executive Management Program in France.

Kevin Rozsa is the EVP, Business Development. He focuses on identifying and establishing partnerships and growth opportunities and leading Transtar’s merger and acquisition strategy. He has held several leadership roles with the company, originally hired by founder Monte Ahuja in 2001 as VP, Corporate Marketing, and later named VP, International Sales. Throughout Transtar ownership and CEO changes, Kevin was asked to lead other areas of the company, including Pro King, Nickels Performance, Category Management, and Supply Chain.

Prior to joining Transtar, Kevin held sales, marketing and product management leadership positions with Schaeffler, a supplier to Transtar since the mid-1980s when he first introduced the Schaeffler LuK RepSet program to the company. Kevin joined Schaeffler in 1985, and worked there for 16 years.

He earned his Executive MBA from Kent State University Graduate School of Management in 1990 and his Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, from Washington and Jefferson College in 1985. Kevin is married to Debbie who he met while both were attending W&J, and they have 3 grown daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys social activities with his family and friends at their lake community in Silver Lake, OH, traveling and watching football games, especially as an avid Pittsburgh Steelers and Ohio State Buckeye fan.

Anna Gluck is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Transtar Industries. She leads the cornerstone of Transtar’s company culture and champions a best-in-class employee experience. She has a proven track record of success in the creation of a well-developed talent management strategy. In addition to being a 2017 Finalist for Crain’s Cleveland HR Archer Award in the Innovation category, accomplishments include developing programs focused on employee career advancement and designing an employer brand campaign centered on fostering a multigenerational, modern workforce.

Anna earned her BS in Education from Cleveland State University and her MBA from Cleveland State University. She also holds her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation through the Society of Human Resource Management.

Bryan Chaikin is the Executive Vice President of Innovation at Transtar Industries, where in 2 years, his accomplishments include developing transend™, a proprietary ecommerce solution, and migrating datacenters to a virtualized cloud environment, saving the company millions year over year.

Bryan’s technical acumen was honed through launching several technology-based businesses, most recently founding and co-operating eFuneral, a software startup that was purchased and commercialized nationally. From eFuneral, he helped launch Transmaxx, where he held the title of Vice President of Technology. Bryan earned his BS in Computer Science from Kent State University and his MS in Computer Science from Case Western Reserve University.