CarterBaldwin Recruits CFO for Solo Brands
February 9, 2024 – CarterBaldwin Executive Search has assisted in the placement of Laura Coffey as the new CFO of Solo Brands, Inc. in Grapevine, TX. Partner Jennifer Sobocinski led the search along with search consultant Greg Hart. Leading the company’s financial operations, Ms. Coffey will report to Chris Metz, president and CEO of Solo Brands. “We are thrilled to have Laura join the Solo Brands team,” said Mr. Metz. “She brings a wealth of financial experience as well as in-depth operational expertise to our organization and will be instrumental in unlocking the value of our brands and executing the next chapter of our growth.”
Ms. Coffey brings over 25 years of retail experience to Solo Brands. Most recently, she served as EVP and CFO for The Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. Prior to that, Ms. Coffey served for 23 years at Pier 1 Imports in financial roles of increasing responsibility, including CFO. She also served as executive vice president of planning & allocations and EVP of e-commerce and business development. She began her career at KPMG.
“I am excited to join Solo Brands and lead the finance organization,” said Ms. Coffey. “Solo’s strong brands have tremendous growth opportunities ahead of them and I look forward to working with the team to realize the company’s full potential.”
Solo brands develops and produces lifestyle products. Through an omni-channel distribution model that leverages e-commerce, strategic wholesale relationships and physical retails stores, Solo Brands offers products through four lifestyle brands – Solo Stove, known for its firepits, stoves and accessories, Chubbies, a casual apparel and activewear brand, Oru Kayak, innovator of origami folding kayaks, ISLE, maker of inflatable and hard paddle boards and accessories, and Icy Breeze, manufacturer of portable air-conditioning cooler units.
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Just recently, Solo Brands used Kirk Palmer Associates to lead in the recruitment of Mr. Metz as president and CEO. “Chris is known for building high performing teams, driving growth and transforming companies,” said Matt Hamilton, chairman of Solo Brands’ board of directors. “His experience across leading outdoor products companies, including Vista Outdoor, makes him the perfect leader for Solo Brands’ future. Our board is confident that Chris is the right person to grow shareholder value.” Mr. Metz has more than 25 years of experience leading consumer and durable goods companies and has compiled a proven track record at every level. He most recently was CEO of Vista Outdoor Inc.
Experienced Consultants
CarterBaldwin is an executive search firm that partners with corporate, non-profit, and academic clients to build leadership teams. They pride themselves on having an experienced staff, an unrivaled search process, and an exceptional client and candidate experience. The firm is listed among a variety of rankings published by Hunt Scanlon Media, including its Top 50, Private Equity Power 100, and Top 50 Higher Education Search Firms.
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Ms. Sobocinski is a founding partner of CarterBaldwin and works across all industries with a deep concentration in the industrial and technology industries. She specializes in executing CEO, C-level officer, and VP-level searches for public and private clients. Most of her clients range from privately-held/emerging enterprises to Fortune 1,000 companies in the manufacturing, industrial and technology sectors. She has also partnered with numerous boards of directors of privately-held (often family-owned) businesses across the country to recruit their first outside executive leaders, ranging from the CEO to the necessary supporting leadership team.
Mr. Hart is an executive search consultant with more than 12 years of experience in the industry, spanning staffing, corporate recruiting, and both large and more specialized executive search firms. He is focused on roles within the financial sector, recruiting senior and executive level finance and accounting executives for both a large executive search firm and a boutique firm.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
