NHS promoted Ben Woody to vice president of product. Woody will help guide NHS’ product lifecycle management and merchandising strategies.
Since starting with NHS in 2014, Woody has been at the forefront of developing and implementing new process efficiencies as well as identifying, analyzing and expanding new markets and product opportunities. He was instrumental in initiating a new hardgoods line planning and seasonal performance analysis to help improve NHS’ product offerings. Woody’s retail management experience in skateboarding, apparel, and snowboarding along with his previous job experience as a buying group manager and private label product manager is a small part of his background and skill set.
“The promotion of Woody supports our values of being open to new ideas, experimentation, adaptation and change and to be constantly improving,” said Bob Denike, CEO of NHS. “I am impressed with Ben’s contributions to NHS and his ability to implement innovative ways of approaching a challenge or new opportunity. The skateboard business is getting more complex and competitive every day and Ben will help us navigate our ever-challenging future.”
“Even before a specific role was determined for Ben, we knew we had to hire him and just get him in the building,” says Jeff Kendall, president and CMO of NHS. “Immediately, Ben’s high-level of business acumen, intelligence and knowledge (and love) of skateboarding were evident. Ben’s addition to the executive team makes me feel very confident about our future, and the ongoing pursuit of our vision at NHS and to remain a company our customers can rely on.”
“To say that I’m honored to be a part of all this history, these brands, and especially the amazing and talented people at NHS is a huge understatement,” said Woody. “Santa Cruz’ Streets on Fire was the first skateboard video I saw, and it introduced me to a completely different way of looking at the world. This new position is a responsibility I take very seriously, and I look forward to using my decades of skate retail experience to create the right product assortments for shops and distributors to continue their success with NHS, the #1 skateboard company in the world.”
NHS Inc. was founded in 1973 by Richard Novak, Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman. NHS is Independent Truck Company, Krux Trucks, Ricta Wheel Dynamics, OJ Wheels, Mob Grip, Nor Cal, Creature Skateboards, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Surfboards and Snowboards, Bronson Speed Co., Slimeball Wheels, and Bullet Skateboards & Safety Gear.
