Richard Vazquez is joining Gander Mountain as executive vice president of merchandising.
“I have known and worked with Rick for almost 20 years and have great confidence in his ability to drive sales,” said Mark Baker, president and CEO. “Rick will accelerate our program to localize the product assortment we offer our customers. His proven track record of establishing processes to effectively individualize product assortments for every store will make him a valuable partner as we continue to add stores in new markets. Rick also has a broad marketing background and extensive experience in strengthening vendor partnerships. As an outdoor enthusiast, particularly enjoying fishing and boating, Rick understands what motivates our customers.”
Vazquez has served in various positions at Home Depot since 1994, most recently as vice president, merchandising and marketing, Mexico Division, where he oversaw all merchandising, sales and marketing activities, integrated a major acquisition and redesigned the assortments for the acquired stores. He served as vice president, merchandising and marketing for Home Depot's Expo Design Center from 2002 to 2004; and general merchandising director, Chile and Argentina, from 1996 to 2001, developing the merchandising, marketing and store design as Home Depot entered those markets. Previously he held various merchandising positions in the home improvement industry.
