Riddell, the football helmet technology and sports protection company, announced today that it has promoted Thad Ide to chief product officer and Michael Oller to executive vice president of Revenue and Customer Experience. Both appointments were effective on January 1 and made at the direction of the company’s new President and CEO, Allison Boersma, who was previously the chief financial officer and chief operations Officer.
Joining them on Riddell’s executive leadership team is Aravind Kashyap, chief information officer, who assumed the position last fall.
“During their nearly 50 years of combined experience at the company, Thad and Michael have meaningfully contributed to Riddell’s significant growth and market leadership by leveraging their deep industry expertise, providing thoughtful counsel, and overseeing their functional areas and high-performing teams,” said Boersma. “Their passion for our business, pride in their work, and commitment to our customers are evident daily and make them invaluable to our leadership team as we move forward.”
Ide is a veteran of the sports equipment industry, having worked for Riddell for the last 26 years. The company reported in a media release that Ide is an “expert on designing and developing headgear for helmeted activities and body protection for contact sports.”
In his most recent role, Ide served as executive vice president of Research & Product Development. Under his leadership, the company introduced “transformational core hard goods, including Axiom and Smart Helmet technologies like InSite Analytics to the game of football.” In his broader role, Ide will spearhead the development of Riddell’s comprehensive, next-gen helmet platform in collaboration with customers and industry partners. In addition to overseeing the engineering, product marketing and quality departments, Ide is responsible for Simbex, a longstanding development partner Riddell acquired last year.
With 30 years of sporting goods and licensed products industry experience, Oller has led Riddell’s consumer products business since 2002, most recently as senior vice president. During Oller’s tenure, the business unit has grown, driven by an expanded collectible product offering and more direct-to-consumer touchpoints. He also manages the day-to-day relationship with the National Football League (NFL) and was integral in securing an extension agreement for the company through the 2030 season.
In his new role, Oller oversees key revenue-driving functions, including institutional sales, InSite Analytics and consumer products. He also works closely with Riddell’s broad customer base to enhance their experience and support evolving needs, emphasizing digital resources, e-commerce and sales programming.
Kashyap joined Riddell in September 2024, bringing CIO experience from companies across manufacturing, retail, distribution, and consumer goods. Kashyap specializes in delivering information management systems and improving IT infrastructure to drive competitive market advantages and operational efficiencies.
At Riddell, Kashyap is focused on digital transformation across the company’s operations and integrating the customer voice in related activities.
Boersma continued, “Riddell’s executive team is stronger than ever, and together, we are poised to further our legacy of innovation, continued growth, and excellence in serving our customers.”
Image courtesy Riddell
