The Right Place announces Rob Llanes as Senior Vice President of Business Development

This month The Right Place Inc. welcomed Rob Llanes to the team as their new Senior Vice President of Business Development.

The Right Place concentrates on three key strategic pillars: People, Place and Prosperity. Llanes was hired to lead the Prosperity pillar with a focus on business retention, expansion and attraction in the Greater Grand Rapids region. In this role he will lead the business development and Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West teams. As part of the organization’s leadership team, Llanes will be engaged in the creation of The Right Place’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan and will be supporting the implementation of the organization’s strategy to establish the Greater Grand Rapids region as the next great tech hub of the Midwest.

“With my depth of experience working in various corporations, startups and consulting, I thought this position with The Right Place was the perfect fit,” said Llanes. “I’m passionate about supporting businesses in their growth and excited to help the Greater Grand Rapids region succeed in creating an equitable economy for everyone.”

“Rob’s entrepreneurial spirit and wide range of expertise, especially in his manufacturing and tech-related roles, is just what we need for this position,” said Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place. “We’re thrilled to see where we can go with his leadership on board.”

Prior to joining The Right Place, Llanes served as the Sales and Business Development Director at Ottobock Industrials, a startup wearable robotics, exoskeleton and consulting business. He was the company’s first North American hire and tasked to build up the foundation of the North American business.

Other past positions include Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Wafer, Inc., North American Enterprise and Mobility Sales Manager of SES SA, Global Sales and Operations Senior Specialist at SES SA, Leadership Rotation Associate at SES SA, Sales Channel Strategy Associate at StrongArm Inc. Mobility, and Manager of Customer Strategy, Operation, and System Consulting at Accenture.

Llanes is a US Army Veteran and served two years as a Cavalry soldier that reached Corporal before being honorably discharged to attend university. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in information and decision science from University of Illinois, and a master’s degree in engineering management from Northwestern University. Llanes is also a certified scrum master and holds certifications in pragmatic marketing and project management.