Robert McCutcheon, a former CEO of outdoor power products maker Husqvarna North America in Charlotte, was hired as the new CEO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, starting Monday.
McCutcheon has more than 35 years of experience in leadership positions across several industries, and was the Husqvarna Group leader from 2020 to 2023.
He has been in the Charlotte area since 2018, when he was named president of Britax Child Safety, a child car seat manufacturer based in suburban Fort Mill, S.C. He led the Americas division.
The hiring follows a lenghty search after the abrupt resignation of former CEO Janet LaBar in April 2024. LaBar held the post for five years, then was succeeded on an interim basis by veteran Charlotte banker Andrea Smith.
She retired in 2023 after more than three decades at Bank of America, the last nine as chief administrative officer. Smith has been interim CEO of the alliance since May 2024.
“Robert is a proven leader,” Smith said. “He is purpose-driven and brings a commitment to fostering growth, building consensus, and developing high-performing teams. I am confident that Robert will steer this organization and our region toward even greater success.”
Smith will remain with the alliance through April and remain as a “strategic adviser” for the business group and its foundation. The alliance declined to release contract terms for McCutcheon. LaBar earned $484,000 for calendar year 2023, according to federal filings.
At Husqvarna, McCutcheon “transformed the company’s leadership position in residential and commercial outdoor power equipment and drove record profits,” according to a release. As president at Conagra Brands in Chicago from 2007 to 2017, he oversaw a portfolio exceeding $3 billion in annual revenue, managing well-known national brands and leading significant growth in sales and profits. His experience also includes leadership roles at Walmart, The Gillette Company, and as a founder/owner of his own business.
“As I step into this role at the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, I am eager to continue the momentum, meeting with leaders across our region, and collaborating with partners to ensure a more prosperous future for us all,” McCutcheon says in a release.
McCutcheon holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in business from Arizona State University. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, Patricia, and is the father of four children.
“Robert is the right leader for the next phase of growth at the CLT Alliance,” said David Longo, who chairs the alliance’s board.“ We are well positioned with the work we did throughout 2024 to continue to capitalize on the momentum.”
The alliance represents 14 counties in North and South Carolina in the Charlotte area. Juggling the different demands of those counties makes for a challenging task for the group, which was formed after the merger of the Charlotte Chamber and Charlotte Regional Partnership.
In February, Tracy Dodson joined the alliance as chief operating officer, the No. 2 post. She had been economic development director for the city of Charlotte.
Thadd Jones, CEO of Nexus Search Partners, led the search that led to McCutcheon’s hiring.