Kirk Palmer Associates Recruits CEO for Escalade

March 14, 2025 – Retail-focused executive search firm Kirk Palmer Associates has assisted in the recruitment of  Armin Boehm as president and CEO of NASDAQ-traded Escalade, Inc. in Evansville, IN. He will succeed Walter P. Glazer, Jr., who in August 2024 announced his plans to retire. Mr. Boehm will begin as Escalade CEO and president on April 1, 2025. Partner Lindsay Stevens, senior principal Brian Busse, associate Caroline Gardner, and search manager Sarah Basto led the assignment. “Armin is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the sporting goods industry,” said Mr. Glazer. “His extensive global experience, combined with his collaborative and dynamic approach, makes him the ideal CEO to guide Escalade into its next chapter of growth and innovation. His strategic mindset, respect for our company’s heritage, and passion for delivering exceptional consumer experiences position him well for success. I look forward to supporting Armin as he takes on this new leadership role while I continue to serve our shareholders as chairman of the board of directors.”

Mr. Boehm brings over three decades of leadership experience across premier global brands and three continents. Most recently, he served as chief commercial officer and a member of the global leadership team at Gibson Inc. in Nashville, TN, where he played a pivotal role in driving growth for the company’s renowned musical instrument and sound solutions portfolio, including Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer. Prior to Gibson, Mr. Boehm held key leadership roles in the sporting goods industry. At Amer Sports, he led commercial and marketing operations across the Americas for brands such as Salomon, Arc’teryx, Atomic, Suunto, and Wilson. While based in Hong Kong and Shanghai for Puma, he drove sales, merchandising, and product creation while spearheading direct-to-consumer growth and establishing Puma China.

Before his tenure in Asia, Mr. Boehm successfully led global product management and merchandising across the apparel division at Puma’s international headquarters in Germany during a period of dramatic growth. He also previously led innovation initiatives at Levi Strauss and began his career as an R&D and product innovation manager at Adidas’ international headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

“I am honored to lead Escalade, a company with a remarkable century-long history and a portfolio of beloved brands,” said Mr. Boehm. “As we look ahead, we will build upon our strong foundation, embrace innovation, and enhance our consumer-centric approach to create products that bring people together. I look forward to working with the exceptional teams at Escalade to drive sustainable growth and superior total shareholder returns while shaping the future of the sporting goods industry.”

Founded in 1922, Escalade designs, manufactures, and sells sporting goods, fitness, and indoor/outdoor recreation equipment. Escalade’s brands include Brunswick Billiards; STIGA table tennis; Accudart; RAVE Sports water recreation; Onix pickleball; Goalrilla basketball; Lifeline fitness; Woodplay playsets; and Bear Archery.

Since its founding in 1987, Kirk Palmer Associates has grown globally, helping retailers hire CEOs, presidents, and front-of-house executives spanning a wide array of marketing, merchandising, stores, sales, E-commerce, and digital leadership roles. Kirk Palmer Associates is made up of retail and fashion industry veterans. The firm’s partners have placed more than 1,000 CEOs, presidents, vice presidents, and other senior executives at over 200 retail and wholesale companies across all channels, sectors, and functional areas.

Retail-Focused Recruiters

Ms. Stevens leads the West Coast executive search practice at Kirk Palmer Associates. She works at the intersection of founders and the investment community helping fast-growing brands hire the leadership talent they need to scale. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Stevens gained more than 15 years of marketing and digital strategy experience at companies including Apple, kate spade new york, and C. Wonder. Additionally, she is a consultative partner to businesses at every stage of growth and provides guidance on organizational design, talent assessment, and executive compensation.

Mr. Busse leads the firm’s expansion in Asia and helps global retail, fashion and consumer brands hire talented executives for regional and international leadership roles in Europe and North America. With more than a decade of professional recruitment experience, he has cultivated a strong network of client partners spanning big local corporates to renowned global names in luxury, fashion, beauty and consumer.

Ms. Gardner leverages her journalism background, her prior search experience and her passion for retail, fashion and beauty to identify top talent and engage candidates with career-changing opportunities. She is particularly focused on DE&I and adding high-impact, diverse talent to retail C-suites and executive teams. Ms. Gardner joined the firm in 2023 with multi-faceted executive search experience.

Ms. Basto supports teams in delivering a white-glove executive search experience, working to ensure clients and candidates feel prioritized and valued. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Basto gained industry exposure in roles at Newell Brand, Adicora Swimwear and Amazon, where she worked as a fashion specialist.

Related: Kirk Palmer Associates Recruits Chief Marketing Officer for JCPenney

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media