Traeger, Inc. appointed Jim Hardy as president of the Meater brand. The appointment of Hardy follows a comprehensive search that considered both external and internal candidates.
The founders of Meater, Wen Nivala, Teemu Nivala, and Joseph Cruz, are expected to transition from their leadership roles at the end of 2023. Traeger’s executive team is evaluating a transition plan for Hardy’s responsibilities as Traeger COO in the coming months.
“Jim has proven to be an invaluable partner and leader at our company,” said Traeger CEO Jeremy Andrus. “Meater is a critical part of the Traeger story and I am thrilled to have Jim lead its next phase of growth. As we evaluated succession planning for Meater, it became clear that Jim was the right candidate. In his role as COO of Traeger, Jim assumed executive oversight of Meater. This experience, along with his decades-long track record of leadership and operational excellence, make him well positioned to successfully lead Meater and ensure a seamless transition.”
Andrus continued, “I would like to thank Wen, Teemu and Joseph for their contributions in driving Meater’s strong growth since we acquired the business and I wish them success in their future endeavors.”
Jim Hardy has worked as the chief operating officer of Traeger since September 2022 and previously as its chief supply chain officer since March 2021. He has over 35 years of operations experience and previously was the COO of Fanatics, Inc. and the EVP of global operations for Under Armour, Inc.
