Jay Jordan, Home Meridian
Jay Jordan, before taking his latest position as president at Home Meridian’s new HMidea operation, helped supervise a reorganization at Ameriwood intended to increase flexibility and maximize resources.
People To Watch 2020
Mads Ryder, Lenox
Mads Ryder joined the Lenox Corporation at the close of 2018, succeeding Katrina Helmkamp, who left the company to pursue a role elsewhere. Ryder joined Lenox at a pivotal time for the company.
Arthur Zambelli, Bradshaw Home
With industry expertise in both the food and housewares industries, Arthur Zambelli was named CEO of Bradshaw Home in June 2019.
Derek Miller, International Housewares Association
While Derek Miller has been president of the International Housewares Association for a year his history with the organization dates back two decades.
Ravi Saligram, Newell Brands
Named Newell Brands president/CEO in late July, Ravi Saligram will officially take his new position in early October. He joins the struggling company with a wealth of high-level executive management experience.
Mark Eichhorn, The Oneida Group
Mark Eichhorn was named CEO of The Oneida Group late in 2018 and previously served as president and CEO of The Oneida Group’s core business, Anchor Hocking, from 1994 to 1999 and its predecessor company, EveryWare Global, Inc., from 2004 to 2012.
Ryan Ross, Williams Sonoma
Ryan Ross, formerly the evp/emerging brands for Williams Sonoma, was named president of the Williams Sonoma brand effective August 1 upon the resignation of Janet Hayes.
Lee Bird, At Home
Lee Bird joined At Home about seven years ago and led the company from its incarnation as Garden Ridge into a more home decor-oriented retail concept focused closely on shopper preferences as they exist and evolve.
Corie Barry, Best Buy
When looking at the work history of Corie Barry, it’s easy to see that she was the natural choice to succeed Hubert Joly as Best Buy’s CEO.
Mike Bauer, Libbey
While still new in his role as CEO of Libbey, a market leader in the glassware industry, Mike Bauer has more than 30 years of experience with leading consumer product companies.
Mike Otterman, Lodge Cast Iron
Mike Otterman came to Lodge with more than 25 years of housewares and retail experience.
Todd Wanek, Ashley Furniture Industries
Todd Wanek began his career at Ashley Furniture Industries shortly after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technologies.
Bryan Welsh, SodaStream, U.S.
Consumer beverages are no stranger to Bryan Welsh. Since 2005, he has held several key positions within PepsiCo, which now owns SodaStream. These include senior director of category management, sales, strategy & planning at PepsiCo Canada and vp/gm of a Pepsi-Starbucks North American coffee partnership.
Kris Malkoski, Arc Americas
While Kris Malkoski was recently named CEO of Arc Americas, the North American division of glassware manufacturer Arc International, she is no stranger to the housewares industry.
Christopher Banning, Meyer Corp. U.S.
Appointed managing director of Meyer Corp. U.S. in June 2019, Banning comes to the industry with more than 30 years of experience in consumer products and housewares.
Dave Albert, Spectrum Brands
Named to his current position at Spectrum Brands in early 2019, Dave Albert is no stranger to the company nor the consumer products marketplace. At Spectrum, he has held a variety of executive positions including vp/international with the company’s Hardware & Home Improvement Division and vp/gm of Canada and Asia Pacific.
Ross Patterson, Robinson Home Products
Robinson Home Products appointed Ross Patterson president in 2016, with Jim Walsh remaining as the company’s CEO. At the time, Patterson had spent more than six years as director of business for the tabletop division at Robinson, which at that point, held the license for the Oneida consumer product categories in the U.S. including tabletop, flatware, cookware and bakeware.
Marcelo Borges, Tramontina USA
Marcelo Borges has served as the CEO of Tramontina’s U.S. division since August 2018. He has an extensive background in the financial industry, which will aid him as the company continues to look to increase profitability while shifting its manufacturing to a more global-based model.
Jill Soltau, J.C. Penney
Before joining J.C. Penney, Jill Soltau was CEO of Joann Stores, a specialty retailer of fabrics and crafting supplies with about 850 stores across the United States. When it announced her hiring, the retailer emphasized that she helped reinvigorate the Joann brand and improved its market position by taking a consumer-oriented approach to determine and deliver compelling assortments.
Rich Krause, Capital Brands
Rich Krause is no stranger to C-suite level positions. Prior to joining Capital Brands, the parent company of Nutribullet, in August of 2018, Krause had held the CEO spot at a number of companies including Confluence Outdoor, a supplier of premium kayaks, canoes and related products; and FeraDyne Outdoors, a supplier of various outdoor products.