Executive Team

Avner Applbaum is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Valmont, leading a team of 11,000 employees working in more than 20 countries. Under his leadership, Valmont delivers engineered structures that support critical infrastructure globally, and advances agriculture productivity as the industry leader in mechanized irrigation.

As President and CEO, Applbaum is committed to executing Valmont’s long-term strategy, fostering customer-driven innovation, and driving continuous improvement across the organization. His leadership emphasizes operational excellence, strategic growth, and leveraging technology to enhance Valmont’s impact on the industries it serves.

Applbaum became President and CEO in 2023 after joining Valmont in 2020 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In that role, he shaped and executed the company’s financial strategy while overseeing all financial operations, as well as information technology, cybersecurity, and technology innovation.

Before joining Valmont, Applbaum held multiple CFO roles at private-equity-backed companies and spent more than 15 years in senior financial and operational positions at publicly traded manufacturers, including Ametek, Belden, and TE Connectivity (formerly Tyco Electronics). He began his career at Ernst & Young.

Applbaum holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Economics from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and is a certified public accountant.

Chris Colwell is President of Infrastructure at Valmont, leading the company’s Utility, Lighting & Transportation, and Coatings businesses, driving the strategic direction for product development, manufacturing and market expansion. Chris brings deep market expertise and a strong customer focus to his leadership, delivering solutions to meet the growing demand for energy, strengthening the electrical grid, and modernizing aging infrastructure.

He joined Valmont in 2011 as Vice President and General Manager of the North American Utility business. Since then, he has held roles of increasing responsibility within the Infrastructure segment. Prior to joining Valmont, Chris held leadership positions in sales, marketing, engineering, and operations at Bosch and L.R. Nelson Corporation, leading teams that delivered transformative business outcomes.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Bradley University and technical certification in Product Development, Marketing Excellence and Advanced Analytics from Bosch in Stuttgart, Germany.

Darryl Matthews is Group President of Agriculture at Valmont, leading the strategic direction of the company’s Agriculture segment. He is responsible for advancing the Valley Irrigation brand, strong dealer and customer partnerships and technology integration that drives agricultural productivity.

Matthews joined Valmont in 2024, bringing deep industry expertise developed over decades in the agriculture sector. Before Valmont, he served as Senior Vice President of Natural Resources & Autonomy at Trimble, delivering integrated technology solutions for agriculture, construction, and infrastructure. He previously held leadership roles including President and General Manager, NAFTA at Nufarm Americas and multiple positions at Dow AgroSciences.

Matthews holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and is recognized for his leadership in agriculture technology expertise and market insights.

Greg Turi is President of Infrastructure at Valmont, leading the company’s Telecom and international infrastructure businesses. He brings a strong background in engineering and commercial leadership to the role, guiding teams that leverage deep market and industry expertise to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional customer service.

Since joining Valmont in 2010 as a Strategic Account Manager in the Utility business, he has held a range of commercial and operational leadership positions, including General Manager, Vice President of Sales, and Vice President and General Manager of International Utility. Most recently, Greg led Valmont’s Solar and Telecom businesses, with responsibility for strategic development, global operational and commercial efficiency, and product and technology innovation. Prior to joining Valmont, Greg held engineering and commercial leadership roles at Comair Rotron, a thermal management company serving the telecommunications and automotive industries.

Greg earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island.

Jennifer Paisley is Chief People Officer at Valmont, leading the company’s global human capital strategy, leveraging talent development, organizational effectiveness and culture to drive business results.

Paisley joined Valmont in 2017 as Director of Benefits and has since held various HR leadership roles in compensation, benefits, HR information systems and HR functions specific to compliance, operations and business partnership. She has executed strategic HR programs at Valmont including the integration of Benefits and Compensation into a Total Rewards model. Prior to joining Valmont, Paisley held HR leadership positions with Charles Schwab and Fiserv.

Paisley is recognized as a thought leader in the HR field, having presented at prominent forums. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Management Information Systems from the University of Nebraska–Omaha and an MBA in Human Resources Management from Bellevue University.

Sobha Mulukutla is Chief Information Officer of Valmont, responsible for leading the company’s global technology strategy and digital capabilities. She oversees enterprise platforms, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and technology innovation that enable Valmont’s business performance, operational excellence and long-term growth.

Mulukutla brings more than 30 years of global technology leadership experience across manufacturing, industrial, and aerospace organizations. Prior to joining Valmont, she served as Vice President for Global Products and Corporate Functions at Johnson Controls, where she led enterprise technology strategy, global service delivery and large-scale digital transformation initiatives supporting business growth and operational simplification.

Earlier in her career, Mulukutla held senior technology leadership roles at Bell Helicopter and Atos Origin, where she led enterprise platform modernization and digital transformation programs across complex global operations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology and has completed executive leadership programs at Duke University.

Eric Johnson is Chief Accounting Officer of Valmont Industries, responsible for overseeing the company’s consolidated financial statements and leading the team that manages accounting records and financial reports. He leads the global Controllership function, supporting both North America and international operations.

Johnson joined Valmont in 2025, bringing extensive accounting and audit experience from roles across several major organizations. Most recently, he was the Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller at Conagra Brands, a publicly traded packaged food company. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of Internal Audit at Kiewit Corporation and held senior audit positions at KPMG, working in offices in Kansas City, Chicago, Germany and Omaha.

Renee Campbell is Senior Vice President, Capital Markets & Risk / Treasurer at Valmont. She supports the company’s long-term growth strategy, leading the investor relations function, overseeing capital structure and treasury operations, and driving initiatives to enhance working capital efficiency. She also oversees Risk Management, including Enterprise Risk and Insurance, within the Corporate Treasury function, strengthening the company’s enterprise-wide view of risk.

Campbell began her career at Valmont in 1995 and has held a series of progressive finance leadership roles, including credit management, international trade finance and corporate treasury. She rejoined the company in 2017 as Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, was promoted to Vice President in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2022. Throughout her tenure, she has elevated engagement with investors, industry analysts, banks and credit rating agencies, and strengthened institutional understanding of Valmont’s strategic direction, performance and long-term outlook. Her broader career includes treasury and cash operations leadership roles at West Corporation and ACI Worldwide.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.