Leadership & directors
Senior Leadership Team
| Board of Directors
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Peter Blake – Chief Executive Officer & Director
Peter Blake joined Ritchie Bros. as a controller in 1991, having worked previously with predecessor firms of KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In 1994 he was appointed Vice President, Finance, and in 1997 was appointed Chief Financial Officer and elected to the Board of Directors. In 2002 he was promoted to Senior Vice President and in 2004 Peter became the Chief Executive Officer of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. Peter is a Chartered Accountant with a Diploma of Technology from BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.
Rob Mackay – President
Rob Mackay joined Ritchie Bros. in 1985 after many years with his family’s highway construction business in Saskatchewan. Over the next 10 years he held numerous head-office administrative positions and was closely involved with Ritchie Bros.’ expansion into overseas markets, initially in Europe and the Middle East, and then in Southeast Asia and Australia. Rob was promoted to Vice President of the Asia Pacific Division in 1995 and took on additional responsibility for South America in 2000. In 2001 he became a Senior Vice President, with additional responsibilities for western North America operations. In 2002 Rob was appointed Executive Vice President, assuming responsibility for all of the Company's operations in the United States, Asia, Australia and South America. Rob was promoted to the role of President in 2005. Rob earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
Bob Armstrong – Chief Strategic Development Officer
Bob Armstrong joined Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers in 1997. Bob has worked in several roles within the organization, starting as the Company's Manager of Corporate Relations. In 2000 he was promoted to Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Secretary. Subsequent roles included Vice President, Internet Services and Vice President, Finance. In November 2004, Bob was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. In 2008 he became the Company's Chief Operating Officer and in 2012 was appointed to the new position of Chief Strategic Development Officer. Bob is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University. Prior to joining Ritchie Bros. he worked for several years with KPMG and held financial management positions in the shipping and television production industries.
Rob McLeod – Chief Financial Officer
Rob McLeod began his career with Ritchie Bros. in 1993 as U.S. Controller and held various other positions in the Vancouver head office, including corporate controller. In 1999, Rob relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska to establish the Ritchie Bros. U.S. head office and in 2002, Rob relocated again, to Ritchie Bros.’ office in the Netherlands, where he was Sr. Manager of Operations for Europe. Returning to the head office in Vancouver in 2005, Rob undertook various strategic projects before being appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2008. Rob has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and received his Chartered Accountancy designation while working for KPMG.
Steve Simpson – Chief Sales Officer
Steve Simpson began his career selling equipment with his family’s company in British Columbia, Canada, followed by several years selling heavy trucks at a dealership. He joined Ritchie Bros. in 1990 as a Territory Manager at the Surrey, B.C. auction site. In 1995 Steve relocated to Brisbane, Australia and helped establish Ritchie Bros.’ presence in the South Pacific region. He served as Regional Manager for seven years before returning to North America and taking on responsibility for the southwestern United States, first as Divisional Manager (2002) and then Vice President (2004), at which time he joined the Management Advisory Committee. In 2008 Steve was promoted to Senior Vice President, overseeing the U.S. West, and in 2012 assumed responsibility for global sales as Chief Sales Officer.
Andrew Muller – Chief People Officer
Andrew Muller joined Ritchie Bros. in 2011 as head of Human Resources, bringing with him extensive practical knowledge of HR management and strategy, including recruiting, talent management and succession planning. Andrew came to Ritchie Bros. from BP Canada, where he served as VP of HR, and prior to that Suncor, where he oversaw the hiring of 1,000+ employees as VP of Talent Acquisition and then, as VP of HR, helped manage the integration of thousands of Suncor and Petro-Canada employees during one of the largest mergers in Canadian history. Andrew has broad HR experience in a range of industries and companies, including Lafarge (Aggregate Concrete & Asphalt group) and Labatt Breweries. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo (Ontario) and a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations from Queen’s University (Ontario).
Kenton Low – Chief Marketing Officer
Kenton Low joined Ritchie Bros. in 2010 with extensive marketing leadership experience in both entrepreneurial and Fortune 500 companies. He most recently served as President of New Media BC, President & CEO of Robeez Footwear and as a senior advisor to the CEO of BC Lotteries Corporation. Prior to that, Kenton was President of Universal Studios Online, Corporate Chief Marketing Officer for Universal Studios and Vice President at Disney’s Internet Group, Disney Interactive and Walt Disney Imagineering. Kenton’s career also includes senior corporate planning and marketing roles at Nestlé and Clorox. Kenton earned his undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. He is also a sessional instructor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business.