LEADERSHIP

Helen P. Johnson-Leipold, Johnson Outdoors chairman and CEO, leads with skills in strategic planning, global operations, strategic marketing and branding, drawing on deep knowledge of the company and its industry. She served as a marketing executive with S.C. Johnson and Foote, Cone & Belding. Ms. Johnson-Leipold is chairman and director of Johnson Bank and Johnson Financial Group, Inc.; director of S.C. Johnson; and chairman, The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread.

Paul Alexander, chief marketing officer for the Boston University Questrom School of Business, is knowledgeable in global branding, marketing and communications. He previously served as chief marketing and communications officer for Eastern Bank; executive vice president and chief communications officer for Liberty Mutual Insurance; vice president of global advertising and design for the Campbell Soup Company; and in advertising and brand  management at Procter and Gamble. Mr. Alexander is a board member of Skyword, a content marketing software and services company; the Ad Club of Boston; and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). He currently chairs the board of directors of The Partnership, Inc.

Kathy Button Bell served as Emerson Electric Co.’s first chief marketing officer from 1999 to her December 2022 retirement. She was also a senior vice president and member of Emerson’s Office of the Chief Executive. Ms. Button Bell served on the Business Marketing Association board from 2010 to 2017, and in 2018 was inducted into the ANA B2B Hall of Fame. She has also served as director and member of the Compensation Committee of Sally Beauty Holdings, held senior marketing positions at Converse Inc. and Wilson Sporting Goods, and was president of Button Brand Development. She currently serves on the Foundation Board of St. Louis Children’s Hospital and joined the board of Packsize in 2022. Ms. Button Bell brings expertise in global marketing, digital strategy and market research, as well as outdoor industry experience.

John M. Fahey, Jr., non-executive chairman of the board of directors of Time, Inc., from June 28, 2017 to April 2018, and retired chairman and CEO of the National Geographic Society, is knowledgeable in key Johnson Outdoors markets and outdoor leisure, travel and recreational industries. He brings skills in leadership, strategic planning, international business and enterprise risk management. Mr. Fahey is also a director of Lindblad Expeditions Holdings and a regent of the Smithsonian Institution.

Edward F. Lang, senior vice president and CFO of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, provides insight in leisure industries and consumer products as well as broad experience in corporate finance, operations and enterprise risk management. He previously served with the NHL’s Nashville Predators for 13 years, most recently as president of business operations and alternate governor.

Richard “Casey” Sheahan, former CEO of Simms Fishing Products LLC, brings proven knowledge, expertise and leadership in management, marketing and sustainable business practices in the outdoor industry. Former president of Keen Footwear and former president and CEO of Patagonia, Inc. and Lost Arrow Corporation, Mr. Sheahan also held senior leadership and marketing positions at Kelty, Inc., Wolverine Worldwide, Inc., Merrell Outdoor Division and Nike, Inc. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Mr. Sheahan has served on the board of the Outdoor Industry Association.

Edward Stevens, founder and CEO of Scoot, Inc. (formerly Preciate, Inc.), an enterprise virtual communication platform, and past strategic board advisor and previous CEO for KIBO Software, Inc., brings extensive experience in digital strategy, ecommerce, and omni-channel distribution, along with his international business strategy skills. Prior to his role at KIBO Software, Inc., he was founder and CEO of Shopatron. He is also chairman of the board for Demand Q, a software-based peak demand energy solution.

Jeffrey M. Stutz, chief financial officer at MillerKnoll, Inc., was a key architect of the transformative merger of Herman Miller with Knoll Furniture. He joined the company in 2001 as manager of financial reporting and later served in a variety of finance leadership roles, including vice president of investor relations, treasurer and chief accounting officer. Prior to joining MillerKnoll (formerly known as Herman Miller, Inc.) in 2001, he worked at Donnelly Corporation, a publicly traded automotive supplier based in Holland, Michigan, where he held roles in financial operations and corporate accounting. He brings extensive experience in finance, accounting, M&A and capital markets.

Annie Zipfel is executive vice president of media at Ovative, a digital media and measurement firm, where she buys and optimizes myriad media types for clients in retail, consumer goods, healthcare and non-profits. She was senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Andersen Corporation from 2018 to September 2022, responsible for enterprise brand management, all digital, web, social media, product management, customer insight and analytics, and specialty business portfolio. Ms. Zipfel’s previous roles include Starbucks global vice president of category and brand for the Roastery and Reserve brands from 2015 to 2018, and marketing leadership positions at REI, Target Corporation and General Mills. She offers extensive experience in marketing, customer insights and analytics, digital strategy, retail and ecommerce, along with business strategy skills.