Gridiron Portfolio Company, Leaf Home™, Appoints Rocco Mango as Chief Executive Officer and Rex Tibbens as Executive Chairman of the Board
Leaf Home Elevates Interim CEO & Appoints Industry Veteran to Execute Next Phase of Growth
NEW CANAAN, December 3, 2024 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), an investment firm dedicated to partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Leaf Home™, a leading technology-enabled direct-to-consumer provider of home improvement products and solutions, announced today that its Board has appointed Rocco Mango Chief Executive Officer of the company. An experienced executive with a proven ability to create value, Mango has served as Interim CEO at Leaf Home since April 2024. During that time, he strengthened the Company’s operational rigor, drove deeper collaboration and effectiveness across the product verticals, and enhanced the Company’s strategic growth plan.
Leaf Home and its brands have been included on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the nation for more than a decade. The company has grown organically and made investments that will continue to allow the business to diversify and scale.
“Leaf Home is uniquely positioned to redefine the direct-to-consumer home improvement market due to our scale, differentiated product offerings, end-to-end customer service, and committed team members,” Mr. Mango said. “I look forward to driving innovation in all facets of the business to deliver even more value to our customers ensuring they can protect and improve their most valuable asset: their home. Leaf Home is truly powered by our people, and I’m thrilled to continue to invest in the growth and development of our 4,000+ employees across North America, making Leaf Home an employer of choice.”
An accomplished C-suite leader, Mr. Mango most recently served as Leaf Home’s Chief Operating Officer from 2019 until his role as Interim CEO. Prior to his time at Leaf Home, he served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Performance Health before its successful sale to Patterson Medical, where he transitioned to Chief Product and Innovation Officer. There, Mr. Mango played an instrumental role in the Company’s post-acquisition integration with Patterson Medical. Earlier in his career, he spent over 15 years at Lubrizol Inc. as Vice President and General Manager of their Engineering Polymers division.
“We appointed Rocco as Interim CEO because we had the utmost confidence in his ability to continue to accelerate Leaf Home’s growth trajectory and further advance the Company’s winning culture,” said Tom Burger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Gridiron Capital and Board member of Leaf Home. “Rocco’s strong performance over the past seven months and deep understanding of the direct-to-consumer home improvement market makes it clear he is the right choice to take Leaf Home to the next level. We look forward to working with him as he executes on the Company’s growth plan and further expands the Leaf Home business.”
Concurrently, Leaf Home announced that Rex Tibbens has been appointed as Executive Chairman of the Company. In this role, Tibbens will provide perspective as another experienced leader, while also providing active strategic guidance across key areas, including growth initiatives, marketing performance, technology efficiency, cost and pricing optimization, and investor relations.
Tom Burger will step down as Chairman but will continue to serve on the Board, actively supporting Leaf Home alongside other Board members and the Gridiron Capital team.
Tibbens has extensive leadership experience over his career, most recently serving as the CEO of Frontdoor, responsible for spinning the company out from ServiceMaster into a standalone publicly traded company. Prior to Frontdoor, Tibbens was the Chief Operating Officer at Lyft, leading the business to over 10x in ride volume amidst heavy competitive pressure. Tibbens spent four years at Amazon as the Vice President of North America Logistics and Innovation and Vice President of Global Kindle Services, where he was responsible for creating the delivery strategy and implementation of Prime Now, which allows Amazon to deliver to customers in as little as one hour. Tibbens spent over ten years at Dell in a variety of technical leadership positions culminating in his role of Executive Director, Global Services. Tibbens currently sits on multiple Boards including Case Western Reserve University in the Cleveland area.
“As we embark on this exciting journey, we remain committed to the vision and values of Leaf Home which has propelled the business growth and profitability of the business. Due to its scale, talented team, and continued strong financial results, Leaf Home is well-positioned to drive innovation, foster growth, and create a lasting impact in the direct-to-consumer home improvement industry. I am excited about the opportunities ahead and confident in our team’s ability to offer more products and services to our satisfied and new customers,” Tibbens said.
About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in the consumer products & services, industrial growth, and business services segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values, and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.gridironcapital.com.
About Leaf Home™
Leaf Home™ is a leading technology-enabled direct-to-consumer provider of branded, innovative home solutions in North America. The company is on a mission to enhance the safety, enjoyment, and comfort of homeowners and their families by delivering seamless, transformative home solutions including gutter protection, home safety, water purification, and other home enhancement products. With its corporate headquarters in Hudson, Ohio, and locations across the U.S. and Canada, Leaf Home has become a trusted partner to over a million homeowners. Live Comfortable. Live Safe. Live Happy Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.leafhome.com.
Contacts
Gridiron Capital, LLC
Thomas A. Burger Jr.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner