With Traeger’s retooling underway, they announced today that there are new executive promotions. Jim Hardy has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Cole VandenAkker to Chief Sales Officer. Both executives will continue to report to Jeremy Andrus, CEO of Traeger.
I am thrilled to announce the promotions of Jim and Cole. Today’s announcement is well-deserved recognition of their many contributions to the business. Since joining Traeger, Jim has been strongly committed to achieving operational excellence and has successfully led our supply chain function in a time of significant macroeconomic volatility. Cole has been a key driver of Traeger’s growth in the last several years and has a strong track record of success and dedication to the Company. Both Jim and Cole have demonstrated that their leadership and strategic expertise are of immense value to the Traeger organization, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we fulfill our vision to bring people together to create a more flavorful world.
Traeger CEO Jeremy Andrus
Jim Hardy joined Traeger in March 2021 as the Chief Supply Chain Officer, where he brought over 35 years of supply chain experience. During his decades long career, his prior roles have included serving as COO of Fanatics, Inc. and EVP Global Operations at Under Armour, Inc. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Florida.
Cole VandenAkker has been with the sales organization at Traeger since August 2014. His most recent role was EVP of Global Sales since May 2020. Prior to joining Traeger he was the Director of Corporate Development at Backcountry.com. He holds a B.A. in Economics from University of Utah and an MBA from Harvard Business School.