X-Rite and Pantone have announced the appointment of Ondrej Kruk to the role of president. A proven Danaher executive, Kruk brings a combination of commercial and operational experience to Pantone and X-Rite, where he will lead the continued expansion of their product and solutions portfolio, beyond color to material appearance.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead a company with such a legacy of innovation in creating tools and technologies for color selection, communication, formulation and measurement,” says Kruk. “Pantone and X-Rite’s latest developments go beyond color, enabling customers to advance the creation, communication and delivery of color and appearance as they transition to digital processes and use more complex materials. Our ability to solve important customer problems, today and in the future, positions Pantone and X-Rite for long-term growth.”

“Ondrej is a proven Danaher leader with experience growing technology companies and working with global customers,” says Joakim Weidemanis, executive vice president, Danaher. “I am delighted to see him in this new role at Pantone and X-Rite, where he can leverage the Danaher Business System to open up new growth opportunities in this already strong business of color technology and appearance.”

For the last three years, Kruk has been the general manager of Alltec, a Danaher business offering laser marking and engraving technology under the Alltec and FOBA brands. At Alltec, Kruk defined and executed on a multi-industry growth strategy. Kruk has also held numerous management roles at Videojet. He was instrumental in growing Videojet’s secondary packaging and product decoration businesses into mature global ventures.

Kruk earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated from the University of Economics in Prague with a Master’s Degree in Economics. He has lived, studied and worked in several European countries, Latin America and the United States. He is fluent in Czech, English, German and Spanish.