MISSION Appoints Veteran Executives, Jocelyn Thornton and Deborah Klemm, as CEO and CFO
PURCHASE, N.Y., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- MISSION® ("MISSION" or the "Company"), the global leader in cooling and heat-relief solutions and a portfolio company of Topspin Consumer Partners, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Jocelyn Thornton as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer and Deborah Klemm as its new Chief Financial Officer. Bringing over 50 years of combined leadership in the consumer goods industry, their expertise will be pivotal in driving MISSION's continued innovation and growth.
Jocelyn Thornton steps into the role of CEO with a proven track record of transforming consumer brand strategies into significant market success. As the former President of Dearfoams, the largest brand within the private equity-backed RG Barry footwear platform, Thornton was responsible for overseeing initiatives across sales, merchandising, marketing, and product development. Her strategic initiatives revitalized the brand and led it to unprecedented growth, leveraging her deep understanding of consumer needs and market dynamics. Prior to Dearfoams, Jocelyn spent over 15 years in leadership positions with Earth Shoes, The Doneger Group, Clarks, and Wolverine Worldwide, where she helped spearhead the Sperry brand. Her leadership at MISSION is expected to inject a fresh perspective and drive forward the company's vision of offering innovative cooling technologies to enhance consumer wellness and comfort.
"Jocelyn is a proven strategic leader with an impressive background in cultivating premier consumer brands, developing and executing go-to-market strategies, and steering high-performing teams towards achieving outsized growth," said Leigh Randall, Managing Partner at Topspin.
"Jocelyn's deep expertise in consumer goods and omnichannel commerce, coupled with her passion for the active consumer segment, make her ideally suited to guide MISSION through its next phase of growth."
Deborah Klemm joins MISSION as CFO, bringing extensive financial expertise and a proven ability to drive profitability and strategic investment. Most recently, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Morilee by Madeline Gardner, a private equity-backed designer of bridal and specialty occasion dresses. Prior to Morliee, Deborah spent nine years as Chief Financial Officer at F. Schumacher & Co., a family-owned designer of branded luxury home décor. Her earlier roles included senior finance positions at David Yurman, Escada, and Giorgio Armani. Her extensive experience in financial strategy and management will be instrumental in optimizing MISSION's performance and positioning the company for further expansion.
"Deborah's financial acumen and insights will be a tremendous asset for MISSION," said Josh Shaw, Executive Chairman at MISSION and Operating Partner at Topspin. "She is a growth-oriented finance leader with a demonstrated track record of operational excellence."
With their wealth of experience and strategic vision, Jocelyn and Deborah are poised to lead MISSION towards continued innovation, growth, and success in the cooling and heat-relief solutions industry.
About MISSION
Founded in 2009 by a group of world-class athletes including Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, and Drew Brees, MISSION is the leader in head-to-toe cooling and heat-relief product innovations that help improve performance and safety for anyone who works, plays, or lives in the heat. MISSION'S goals extend far beyond providing comfort?aimed to revolutionize health, wellness, productivity, and performance in the face of heat challenges. MISSION is distributed nationwide in over 25,000 retail stores and online, and leads the market with patented and proprietary technologies.
MISSION is the founding partner of the National Heat Safety Coalition, a nonprofit organization seeking to improve safety and performance in the heat for workers in the United States. Along with scientists, researchers, and industry leaders, the Coalition works with public and private partners to set guidelines and inform on Heat-Safety standards. For more information, visit mission.com and follow us @mission on Instagram.
About Topspin Consumer Partners
Topspin Consumer Partners is a Mamaroneck, NY-based private equity firm that makes investments in established, profitable, and fast-growing middle-market consumer businesses. The firm invests across a number of sub-verticals within consumer, including health & wellness, personal care, beauty, food & beverage, household goods, pet, and children's products. The Topspin team has considerable operational expertise and collaborates with founder-owners and management teams to build businesses of varying stages and sizes. For more information, please visit topspincp.com.
Media Contact:
Sam Gauchier
michele marie pr
100 Crosby St. Suite 402 New York, NY 10012
646.860.5689| [email protected]
Media Contact
Sam Gauchier, MISSION, 1 6468605689, [email protected], https://www.mission.com/
SOURCE MISSION
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