The Coleman Company, Inc. promoted three senior vice presidents, Pat Barnett, Senior Vice President of Global Product Management; Bob Fowler, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain; and Sam Solomon, Senior Vice President, Global Administration and Chief Financial Officer. All three will continue to report to Gary A. Kiedaisch, Coleman President and CEO.
These three executives have been key members of Coleman's management team, helping move the company forward with growth in EBITDA, sales and new product introductions. “As Coleman enters a new dimension of global enterprise, one in which the company operates as one unified global entity, these executives have demonstrated with skill and commitment that they are capable of taking the company to that next level,” Kiedaisch said.
“Our new SVPs will work with me and our domestic and global leadership teams to achieve our gross margin goals and EBITDA improvement. Our strategy is to develop more efficient and effective global product management and supply chain teams and processes. This global strategy will focus on penetrating new distribution channels around the world with uniquely differentiated products. These three will be key players in executing that strategy.”
Pat Barnett is a 20-year Coleman veteran, rising through the ranks and serving in numerous positions of increasing responsibility in Finance, Operations, Sourcing and Product Management. He became Vice President, Product Management – Softlines in 2003 and was promoted to Vice President, Product Management earlier this year. He will direct all activities for the Coleman® product portfolio. He and his team will focus on hastening the global concept-to-commercialization process and on infusing appropriate cutting edge technology into our new and existing products.
Bob Fowler came to Coleman in March 2003 from York International, where he was Vice President, Operations. He has moved the company forward by transitioning its global sourcing model to meet cost demands and will extend those benefits to the company's global entities. In this new assignment, he will be developing new processes for sales, operations planning, quality control and inventory management to increase supply chain efficiency.
Sam Solomon joined Coleman in May 2005, coming from such global companies as the Coca Cola Company and Kidde PLC, where he managed financial turnarounds, implemented global manufacturing strategies to reduce costs and overhauled product strategy. In his new position, he will be responsible for the management and oversight of all of Coleman's internal and external financial activities.
Says Kiedaisch of the company's new senior vice presidents, “As we all think globally, but market locally, they will help Coleman maintain the commonality in our markets to reap economies of scale, while strategically positioning our products using unique market-to-market points of differentiation. As part of Coleman's management team, Pat, Bob and Sam have demonstrated leadership skills and delivered results in this critical arena. They will be real contributors moving forward.”
