Sasha Kelberg took one company through every chapter a founder can live: employee #1, CEO, buyout leader, chairman, and seller to Nasdaq-listed company in 2026.
The operator behind the coach
Sasha Kelberg has lived the full arc of a founder-led company. As employee #1 at Groglass in Riga, he spent 19 years building a research lab spin-off into a deep-tech manufacturer with 70% of its European market and customers in 50+ countries, growing the category 4x+.
When the company’s private equity investor sought an exit, Sasha led a management buyout that drew more than 20 international funds. He then chaired the Supervisory Board and in 2026 led the strategic sale to Apogee Enterprises (Nasdaq: APOG). His governance experience spans more than 20 years on supervisory and advisory boards, for-profit and nonprofit, including the board of AmCham in Latvia.
Today, he coaches CEOs to build teams that run without them, scale internationally, and prepare companies that buyers and investors compete for. Wharton MBA.
Selected accomplishments
We pressure-test one decision you’re sitting on
Working with Sasha
Growth CEOs focused on international expansion and exit preparation. Sasha has sat on every side of that table: founder, CEO, buyout leader, chairman, seller.
Employee #1, then CEO, of Groglass, a deep-tech manufacturer he built to 70% EU share. He led its buyout, chaired its board, and sold it to Apogee.
Direct, operator-driven, and rooted in real P&L experience. Sasha Kelberg coaches CEOs the way a former operator coaches, focused on the decisions that actually move the business, the metrics that expose the truth, and the leadership behaviors that compound over time.
Sasha is based in Riga, Cape Town and Cleveland. He works with CEOs through 1:1 coaching, board observation, and on-site strategic offsites as part of the CEO Coaching International team.
Companies coached by CEO Coaching International for two or more years have averaged 22.8%/yr revenue growth and 37.5%/yr EBITDA growth, roughly 2-3x U.S. benchmarks. Sasha Kelberg coaches to the same operating standard: measurable growth, real leverage on the CEO's calendar, and a leadership team that can execute without you.
Same rooms, different scars
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Craig ColemanPacific Palisades, CAFormer founder and CEO with 15 years of experience building, scaling, and successfully exiting a fintech company, now coaching founder-CEOs to scale their businesses, strengthen enterprise value, and create the option for a successful exit.View profile 
Sheldon HarrisMiami Beach, FLMulti-unit operator, franchise builder, and partner on the CEO Coaching International executive leadership team.View profile 
Cynthia ClevelandLos Angeles, CAFormer Universal Studios Worldwide PresidentView profile 
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