Leadership
Mike Gaby, Chief Executive Officer
Mike Gaby was named President and CEO of Pennant Group International, Inc. in February of 2009. Since that time, he has led Pennant through a period of vibrant growth, acquisition and geographical expansion that has increased the size of the company sevenfold.
Mr. Gaby brought to Pennant a core belief of creating a dynamic corporate culture with a laser focus on customer satisfaction along with operational discipline. This philosophy has paid dividends for Pennant by building a foundation of like-minded customers who want to partner and flourish with Pennant.
Mr. Gaby has over 30 years’ experience in finance, sales and marketing, operations and executive management. He is a graduate of Miami University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.
J. Chris Highfield, President
J. Chris Highfield joined the Company in May of 2023 serving in the role as President. Prior to joining Pennant, Chris served in various C-Suite leadership positions, most recently serving as the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for CORE Molding Technologies, a publicly traded provider of thermoset and thermoplastic products.
Prior to joining CORE, Mr. Highfield was employed by American Trim, a Tier 1 supplier of decorated metal products serving the appliance, automotive, heavy truck and industrial marketplace, from 2002 to 2015. He joined American Trim as the Director of Truck & Bus Products, and held several positions of increasing responsibility, advancing to the senior leader of the Sales & Marketing organization. Prior to American Trim, Mr. Highfield held various director, general manager and commercial leadership positions with top Tier 1 providers in the agriculture, appliance, automotive, lawn & garden, heavy truck, industrial and outdoor power markets.
Mr. Highfield earned his MBA with a concentration in Operations & Finance from Cedarville University and his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Wittenberg University. His focus is establishing strategic focus and direction while promoting employee engagement and development, enhancing customer satisfaction and driving P&L performance.
Jeff Blind, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Jeff Blind is an experienced financial officer who collaborates well across the organization to assist in setting business strategies, reporting and understanding business results, identifying opportunities to grow the business, improve processes and operational results and protect the assets of the company.
He enjoys and is effective in working as part of a leadership team to help maximize company performance. One of his strengths is working with people at all levels of the organization. His experience with a large global hi-tech manufacturing and service organization and with a Big 4 public accounting firm has exposed him to many different businesses and allowed him to gain valuable experience in various aspects of business.
Mr. Blind has had the opportunity to provide leadership to large groups of associates and has extensive experience in Planning and Budgeting, Reporting and Analysis, Executive level presentations, Cross functional collaboration to identify growth and cost containment opportunities, Streamline business systems and processes and Business acquisitions and integration. He is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.
Rob Crowder, President – Pennant Solutions Group
Rob Crowder serves as President of Pennant Solutions Group (formerly GREAT Products), bringing a global, solutions-oriented perspective to customers’ manufacturing needs. Since joining the company in 2021, Mr. Crowder has led a transformative period of growth—tripling revenue through strategic innovation, supply chain optimization, and operational excellence.
An accomplished executive with deep expertise across manufacturing, technology, and supply chain systems, Mr. Crowder has a proven track record of driving scalable growth in both early-stage ventures and established enterprises. Prior to joining Pennant, he played pivotal roles in scaling several high-growth businesses, including a $500M Series A raise for a Chicago-based technology firm and supporting the IPO of an Industry 4.0 manufacturing platform.
Mr. Crowder began his career in General Electric’s Financial Management Program before transitioning into management consulting, where he advised clients across a variety of industries on performance optimization and sustainable growth. He holds a triple major in Finance, International Business, and Chinese from The Ohio State University. Mr. Crowder is passionate about advancing sustainable manufacturing, building resilient supply chains, and developing adaptive business models to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy.
Brian Contini, Vice President of Sales & Marketing
With over 25 years of experience in manufacturing, metal forming, and industrial products, Brian Contini brings a wealth of industry expertise and leadership to Pennant Molding Company. A graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Brian joined Pennant Molding in 2024 as the Senior Manager of Business Development. His strategic vision and proven track record in driving sales growth led to his promotion as Vice President of Sales and Marketing in November 2025.
In his current role, Brian oversees sales strategy, marketing initiatives, and business development efforts, ensuring Pennant Molding continues to expand its market presence and deliver innovative solutions to customers. His passion for building strong client relationships and fostering high-performing sales teams will be instrumental in the company’s success.
Nick Laney, Corporate Director of Operations
Nick Laney became the Pioneer, Ohio Plant Manager in 2018 and is currently our Corporate Director of Operations overseeing all 4 Pennant manufacturing plants. Prior to joining Pennant Group International, Inc., Nick held several management roles, including Engineering Manager.
Nick brings over 15 years of management experience in several different industries including the steel industry and composites. His managing style focuses on building a core team and expanding that to each one of his team members and bringing everyone together to ensure they do what is right for the customer and go beyond their expectations.