Implus Corp., a leader provider of athletic, fitness and outdoor accessories, appointed Michael B. Polk as interim chief executive officer. Seth Richards, Implus CEO, and Todd Vore, president, are transitioning their leadership roles and will be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.
“Implus has experienced tremendous growth for over two decades under the leadership of Seth and Todd,” said Dave Bordeau, chairman of the Implus board of directors. “We celebrate their successes, thank them for their leadership, and look forward to continuing our relationship with them as significant shareholders and friends of the business. As the company moves into its next phase of growth and scale, we are pleased that Mike Polk, who is also a Berkshire Partners Advisory Director, is joining the company as Interim CEO and Director. Mike brings a wealth of experience in the consumer products sector, and we are excited to have him join the company.”
Prior to joining Implus, Mike Polk was the president and chief executive officer of Newell Brands, a position he held from 2011 to 2019. He previously held a variety of leadership and executive roles at Unilever and Kraft and started his career at The Procter & Gamble Company. Polk is also a member of the Boards of Directors of Colgate-Palmolive Company and Logitech International and was formerly a member of the Boards of Directors of Newell Brands and The Yankee Candle Company. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University.
“I am excited to join both Implus Corporation and Berkshire Partners,” said Polk. “Implus has built a terrific portfolio of leading brands in on-trend categories. I look forward to working with the Implus team to continue to develop these great brands, accelerate growth, and further strengthen the company.”
Key brands within Implus’ portfolio include Sof Sole, Balega, Yaktrax, SKLZ, TriggerPoint, RockTape and Spenco.
