Welcomes New CEO and Leadership Team and Changes Name to Instant Pot Brands, Highlighting the Iconic Instant® Line
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Instant Pot Brands, a leading designer, marketer and distributor of electric pressure cookers, air fryers and other small kitchen appliances globally, announced the appointment of four new senior executives to its leadership team: Chris Robins as Chief Executive Officer, Craig Carrigan as Chief Financial Officer, Lisa Kronish as Chief Human Resources Officer and Rudy Sumarli as Executive Vice President, Supply Chain and R&D. The appointments come in tandem with the Company’s announcement that it has changed its name and will be doing business as Instant Pot Brands.
“Chris, Craig, Lisa and Rudy’s appointments are an exciting next step for Instant Pot Brands,” said Rich Krause, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “I am confident that this group is well equipped to build upon our transformative strategy and lead the Company into the future. Each leader brings a unique set of skills and experiences that will strengthen our brand.”
Chris Robins joins Instant Pot Brands from Newell Brands as an experienced executive and Board member, with a specific focus on driving value creation by developing a deep understanding of a company’s strengths, market opportunities and challenges, financials and team capabilities. With extensive CEO experience, she has used her expertise in brand building, innovation and channel/market expansion to steer companies through ever-changing market forces. She has worked in both the public and private sectors, creating value across a wide range of consumer industries including packaged goods, durables, and hardware and software.
“I am thrilled to join Instant Pot Brands, a Company with such a strong portfolio of products built on an iconic brand, with a dedicated team to match. I am confident we will be able to usher in a new era for the business, leveraging this brand and this team to bring new and innovative products to the kitchen appliances segment,” said Chris Robins, new Chief Executive Officer.
Craig Carrigan joins Instant Pot Brands with more than 20 years of experience in building, leading and transforming businesses across industries including retail, wholesale, licensing and DTC. He has a proven track record of delivering operational, financial and strategic results, including increasing revenue and profitability, optimizing supply chains and expanding global markets. He started his career at PVH Corp. where he held the roles of Divisional CFO, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Group Planning Director.
Lisa Kronish is a highly experienced CHRO, who has more than 20 years of expertise in building talent strategies in turnaround environments. She also joins from Newell Brands and has extensive international experience in Europe, Latin America and Asia, where she partnered with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to drive business transformation.
Rudy Sumarli joins Instant Pot Brands as a seasoned leader in supply chain, operations and engineering management driving sustainable, profitable growth. He has deep CPG experience across electronics and consumer durable businesses and extensive global experiences with GE, Dell, Eaton and Harman/Samsung. He has expertise in leading business transformation, M&A, operational excellence and innovation. He also joins from Newell Brands.
Instant Pot Brands’ name change is a part of the Company’s ongoing transformation following its separation from its former parent company, Instant Brands, in connection with Instant Brands’ Chapter 11 process. Instant Pot Brands was established as a standalone company with a new capital structure and under new ownership following its purchase by an affiliate of Centre Lane Partners in November 2023.
About Instant Pot Brands
Instant Pot Brands™ is a leading consumer products company built on an iconic, innovative product. Our technology transforms consumers’ lives and makes cooking easy, simple and convenient. The Company offers a wide variety of products including Instant Pot® electric pressure cookers, Instant® air fryers and a range of other small kitchen appliances. From our founding more than 15 years ago, Instant Pot Brands’ products are in millions of homes worldwide. For more information visit www.instantpot.com or join the community @instantpotofficial on Instagram.
About Centre Lane Partners
Founded in 2007, Centre Lane Partners is a private investment firm that invests in the equity and debt of middle market companies in North America. Centre Lane employs a flexible strategy that approaches complex situations with a solutions orientation. Centre Lane has an experienced, collaborative and diverse team, and seeks to partner with strong management teams that can benefit from patient, long-term capital and Centre Lane’s operational, financial and strategic expertise and support.
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