Keen, Inc. has appointed Steve Meineke as president, June 1.
Keen said Meineke brings over three decades of executive leadership, multi‐channel and industry experience, and brand acumen to the role.
The appointment of Meineke marks a decisive moment for Keen as the company enters its second decade. The brand has furthered its dedication to its core outdoor business and community during that time while committing to a broader vision and proactive invitation to invite more fans into the Keen brand. The evolution of Keen into its next era is in full swing and includes product innovations, successful extensions into new categories such as Utility, new approaches in R&D and its own manufacturing to control the supply chain. Keen also has an invigorated commitment to making a positive difference for community and the planet through non-profit partnerships and business practices.
“We’ve built a solid foundation for Keen as we enter our second decade and we need the right leader to pull all of our initiatives together and drive the business forward,” said Ron Hill, VP of product merchandising and marketing at Keen. “Steve is that leader. He has proven success in diverse businesses with teams around the world and comes to Keen with a brand-building skill set that we really can capitalize on.”
Meineke’s leadership career has focused on innovative consumer brands across a range of sectors. The majority of his career has been spent guiding and growing companies in the outdoor markets from the mountains to the beach to the city. “I could not be more honored to join this great team to drive the next era of the Keen brand, which will capture the imagination of today’s diverse consumer who looks to maximize their experience from the trail to the city,”
For the past two years, Meineke served as chief executive officer at Accell North America, a global leader in bicycles, gear and parts, where he drove strategy that resulted in a successful reorganization and platform establishment of ANA, Accell Group’s North American business unit. In this role, he led investment and implementation of leadership talent, along with large‐scale infrastructure changes and efficiencies to build a highly profitable new entity. Meineke served as the pPresident of Raleigh America, Inc. and Shareholder of Raleigh Cycles Limited from February, 2004 to April, 2012.
Previously, Meineke was CEO of Mission Hockey from 1996 to 2002. Before that, he served as president, Specialized Bicycle Components from 1993 to 1996. Meineke’s career also includes a role as President of Nordica USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nordica SportSystem, SpA from 1990 1993. Nordica acquired Rollerblade, Asolo Footwear, Ektelon Raquetball, Prince Tennis, and Kastle Ski during his leadership. Meineke served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing of Vuarnet-°©‐France sunglasses and apparel, from 1987 to 1990.
He also served as Global Marketing Manager of Salomon North America, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Salomon, SpA from 1980-°©‐ 1987. Meineke holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from University of Minnesota, with continued executive education at Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Meineke is most in his element enjoying a powder day, a road bike ride or adventuring on his stand-°©‐up paddleboard.
