Chad Altbaier: Leading on the Unconventional

Chad Altbaier: co-CEO of Standard Fiber

The typical corporation consists of several employees, managers, directors, the C-level executives, investors, and, most importantly, the primary CEO. But not at Standard Fiber. Chad Altbaier, co-CEO of Standard Fiber, emphasizes the uniqueness of being an industry leader unconventionally. Drawing on years of experience in the textile industry, from his time at a family business through his jump to Standard Fiber, Altbaier reflects on his role as co-CEO and how that has shaped him into the leader he is today. 

Altbaier describes his time in the textile industry as impactful, teaching him valuable lessons through varied experiences. Starting at a family business, he says he might have stayed at that level without more ambition to lead, crediting his transition to Standard Fiber for offering greater opportunities to learn and grow. Chasing passion and making a mark, Altbaier explains, was possible through these experiences. 

As Altbaier settled into his new role at Standard Fiber, he highlighted the delegation of work between him and his partner, underscoring the efficiency this distinct structure delivers. “We have a functional split of responsibilities,” Altbaier says. He explains the importance of catering to different strengths, elaborating that his partner handles most of the supply chain responsibilities, including operations management and overseas duties, while Altbaier focuses on sales and marketing, the commercial side of the responsibilities. Communication and collaboration, Altbaier underscores, are extremely important traits in today’s professional setting. 

This unique split in leadership brings its own set of challenges. Altbaier notes the co-CEO structure brings both benefits and challenges. He clarifies that while complementary skills help, overlapping roles can create complications. To address this, he insists on clear delegation and having set processes for resolving disputes, stressing that effective conflict resolution and role clarity are necessary for shared leadership to succeed. 

Altbaier’s journey demonstrates the importance of playing to your strengths and embracing opportunities to thrive. His advice, spanning from resolving disputes to succeeding as a leader, highlights crucial factors for success.