BlackStrap, based in Bend, OR, hired Chris Vaday as senior director of sales and Valerie Axworthy as sales operations manager.
Vaday joins Blackstrap, known for its premium base layers, balaclava ski masks, neck warmers, and activewear apparel, after 25 years at Dakine. During his tenure with Dakine, he held various roles within the company. His most recent role at Dakine was sales director for North America.
Axworthy joins BlackStrap after five years in the commercial furniture industry as a sales lead covering the West Coast. She was responsible for building out a new sales channel post-acquisition, transforming a B2B-focused company into an omni-channel distribution.
“Aer 15 years of overseeing our wholesale business, I am very excited to pass the torch of Sales over to this stellar team. With Vaday’s robust experience in the industry and with the support of Valerie, I have no doubt that our wholesale partners will appreciate the new and heightened level of service they bring to the table. These additions play a key role in rounding out our Executive and Management structure and I am excited for this group of individuals to continue fostering our partnerships at retail.” Abe Shehadeh, CEO and founder.
