Anthony Palma has officially assumed the position of CEO of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. and Mark Tripp has assumed the position of CFO. William Fry, the company’s existing president and CEO, will remain the company’s president and will assume the new title of president of the company’s Action Sports division. Paul Lehmann, the company’s existing CFO, has resigned that position, but remains an employee of the company.

“We are excited about our new combination of companies,” said Palma. “This is obviously a very competitive industry, and each company in our mix has been successful individually because of a total commitment to innovation and cutting-edge products. The combined company will be even stronger thanks to a deeper pool of R & D resources that will be leveraged across all businesses. We will retain our focus on creating the most sought after products in the industry.”

Before serving as Chief Operating Officer and President of Easton Sports, Palma was the Chief Financial Officer of Jas D. Easton, Inc. (JDE), the parent company of Easton Sports, Inc. Prior to joining the Easton organization, Palma was a senior manager at KPMG Peat Marwick in Los Angeles, from 1984-93. Palma is also on the Board of Directors for Easton and a member of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers’ Association (SGMA) and the Council of Business Advisors at California State University, Northridge where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting & Finance.

“Each individual company within Easton-Bell Sports has also been successful through unique selling channels and strategies,” continued Palma. “Easton’s team dealer network has helped make Easton one of the leading brands in the sporting goods industry and therefore will not change under this newly formed entity. Easton will continue to sell and service its product line thru its existing authorized dealer base. Riddell on the other hand, has built a strong institutional sales force and will continue to utilize the structure they’ve developed. We respect both approaches and have no plans to make any changes.”