DALLAS, TX and INDIANAPOLIS, IN, January 5th, 2017 – Varsity Brands, the leading company that empowers young people through sport, spirit and achievement, today announced that Jeffrey Drees will join its Herff Jones business division as President, effective January 9th. Mr. Drees joins Herff Jones from Flowserve Corporation, where he most recently served as President, Industrial Product Division. He will report directly to Varsity Brands’ President and CEO, Matthew E. Rubel.
He succeeds John Newby, who will assume new leadership responsibilities, including oversight of Varsity Brands’ cross-division IMPACT program.
Mr. Rubel stated, “The Varsity Brands mission of empowering young people by encouraging participation, recognizing achievement and building community and school spirit remains as vibrant as ever. Jeff is uniquely qualified to contribute to the fulfillment of this mission as Herff Jones’ new President. This includes a proven track record leading and growing highly-integrated companies with a focus on the customer, as well as a powerful understanding of the many ways in which Herff Jones has the potential to enrich the lives of young people. I am confident he will bring a clear vision, management acumen and proven leadership experience to his new role.”
Mr. Rubel continued, “I am also deeply gratified that we will continue to benefit from John Newby’s passion and experience – most notably through his leadership of our IMPACT program.”
Mr. Drees added, “Herff Jones is a proud company with an inspired and vital mission to help students celebrate their achievements and, in the process, strengthen their schools and their communities. I’m eager to get to work building on this foundation while working with my colleagues to build and execute on growth opportunities.”
Mr. Drees’ career affirms his ability to improve and grow complex B2B, sales-driven businesses. In addition to his most recent role at Flowserve, Mr. Drees’ earlier responsibilities included serving as President, Flow Control Division. He joined Flowserve after a 12-year career at Schneider Electric, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in service as Executive Vice President, Professional Services – a new, $2B business focused on energy management services. His tenure at Schneider also included serving as President, US, with responsibility for more than 18,000 employees and 30 manufacturing plants. Earlier in his career, Mr. Drees worked at both Caterpillar, Inc. and Honeywell International, Inc. in a series of commercial, project management, and marketing roles. He started his career in the US Air Force where he worked as a systems specialist responsible for maintaining, repairing and installing building automation systems in Europe, the Middle East and Turkey.
