Escalade, Inc. announced that Armin Boehm has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) and president following an extensive search process as part of a planned succession.
Boehm will succeed Walter P. Glazer, Jr., who, in August 2024, announced his plans to retire as CEO and president. The transition takes effect April 1, 2025.
Regarding Boehm’s appointment, Glazer said, “Armin is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the sporting goods industry. His extensive global experience, combined with his collaborative and dynamic approach, make him the ideal CEO to guide Escalade into its next chapter of growth and innovation. His strategic mindset, respect for our company’s heritage and passion for delivering exceptional consumer experiences position him well for success. I look forward to supporting Armin as he takes on this new leadership role while I continue to serve our shareholders as chairman of the Board of Directors.”
Boehm shared, “I am honored to lead Escalade, a company with a remarkable century-long history and a portfolio of beloved brands. As we look ahead, we will build upon our strong foundation, embrace innovation, and enhance our consumer-centric approach to create products that bring people together. I look forward to working with the exceptional teams at Escalade to drive sustainable growth and superior total shareholder returns while shaping the future of the sporting goods industry.”
Ned Williams, lead independent director, said of Glazer’s leadership, “On behalf of everyone at Escalade, I want to express our deepest gratitude for Walt’s leadership and unwavering dedication as president and CEO. Walt’s commitment and outstanding leadership guided Escalade through a critical period and set us up for further success in the years ahead. We are extremely grateful for Walt’s contributions and look forward to building upon those with Armin as our next president and CEO.”
Boehm brings over three decades of leadership experience across global brands and three continents. Most recently, he was the chief commercial officer and a member of the global leadership team at Gibson, Inc. in Nashville, TN, where he played a pivotal role in driving growth for the company’s musical instrument and sound solutions portfolio, which includes Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer.
Before Gibson, Boehm held key leadership roles in the sporting goods industry. At Amer Sports, he led commercial and marketing operations across the Americas for the Salomon, Arc’teryx, Atomic, Suunto, and Wilson brands. While based in Hong Kong and Shanghai for Puma, he drove sales, merchandising and product creation while spearheading direct-to-consumer growth and establishing Puma China.
Before his tenure in Asia, Boehm led global product management and merchandising across the apparel division at Puma’s international headquarters in Germany during a period of growth. He also previously led innovation initiatives at Levi Strauss and began his career as an R&D and product innovation manager at Adidas’ international headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
Boehm holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from FH Ludwigshafen, Germany and a Diploma in Engineering from FH Coburg, Germany.
Founded in 1922 and headquartered in Evansville, IN, Escalade designs, manufactures and sells sporting goods, fitness and indoor/outdoor recreation equipment under the brands Brunswick Billiards, Stiga table tennis, Accudart, Rave Sports water recreation, Onix pickleball, Goalrilla basketball, Lifeline fitness, Woodplay playsets, and Bear Archery.
Image courtesy Escalade/Brunswick Billiards
