The Nautilus Group, Inc. announced its shareholders elected all seven current members of the Board of Directors to serve until the 2005 annual shareholder meeting. The Board also formally announced several key executive officer additions and promotions. The changes are expected to drive the company's strategy to “maximize its presence in the global marketplace”.
Holly B. Valkama joined Nautilus as Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations. Ms. Valkama has an extensive background in manufacturing and operations for a variety of Fortune 500 companies, including Thomas and Betts, where she had responsibility for global manufacturing and operations with 22 manufacturing sites. The Company believes her expertise in lean manufacturing and improving speed to market will improve its strong focus on innovation and delivering upon customer needs. Holly has a B.B.A. from Loyola University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton Business School.
Pat A. Warner has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Product Development. Under Pat's direction the product development group will continue to lead the Company's efforts to design the products that will fuel growth. Mr. Warner will now report directly to the Chairman and CEO. It reinforces the Company's emphasis on market leading innovation. Mr. Warner joined Schwinn as a design engineer in 1994. Mr. Warner received a B.S. in Engineering from Purdue University.
Darryl K. Thomas, Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning has assumed direct responsibility for international operations in addition to the Company's strategic planning role. Mr. Thomas has a strong international background and vision to maximize the possibilities for the international markets. Prior to joining Nautilus in January 2004, he served in a variety of executive marketing and strategic planning positions with Levi Strauss and Company and positions in global sales management, sales training and planning with The Coca-Cola Company. Prior to Coca-Cola, Mr. Thomas held sales-related positions at Xerox Corporation and AT&T. Mr. Thomas received a B.B.A. from the University of North Texas and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Wayne M. Bolio was promoted to Senior Vice President of Law and General Counsel from Senior Vice President of Human Resources. He joined Nautilus in June 2003 with over 20 years of legal-related experience. From 1997 to 2002 he served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Consolidated Freightways and most recently held the position of Vice President of Human Resources and Assistant General Counsel. Prior to that he was employed by Southern Pacific Transportation Company as Assistant General Counsel. Mr. Bolio's maturity and ability to work effectively with people adds a valuable dimension to his General Council skill set. He received a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. from UCLA.
Tim Hawkins, Chief Customer Officer, has been given the responsibility of customer service in addition to his sales responsibility. This insures that the Company's focus on serving customers is aligned in the selling process and deliver a single point of contact for both sales and service needs. Mr. Hawkins joined Nautilus in February 2004. Prior to joining the Company Hawkins was Vice President of Sales for Levi Strauss and Company. From April 1997 to November 2001, Mr. Hawkins led various National Account sales groups for Coca-Cola Fountain. Mr. Hawkins also held executive marketing positions with Famous Footwear and sales management positions with Rayovac Corp. Mr. Hawkins received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
In addition, the Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Kevin Lamar who served the Company as Chief Operations Officer. The Company thanks Mr. Lamar for the contributions and dedication he brought to Nautilus over the years and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Mr. Gregg Hammann, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, stated, “We are fortunate to have attracted such a talented group of executives. We now have the nucleus of talent to deliver upon our growth plans. We will achieve our objective of being the number one Company in the health and fitness category. This team will lead the charge of providing superior customer service, driving innovation, improving our speed to market and delivering superior quality. I am both excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead such a talented team”.
