Board of directors

Julien R. Mininberg, CEO and Director Since: 2014

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Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Mininberg had served as the CEO of Kaz Inc. (“Kaz”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company since December 2010. Kaz comprises the Health & Wellness segment of the Company. Mr. Mininberg joined Kaz in 2006, serving as Chief Marketing Officer and was appointed President in September 2007, where he served until he was appointed the CEO in September 2010. Before joining Kaz, Mr. Mininberg worked for 15 years at The Procter & Gamble Company (“P&G”), where he spent an equal amount of time in the U.S. and Latin America, serving in a variety of marketing and general management capacities. In the U.S., he worked in brand management, serving as Brand Manager in P&G’s Health Care Division. He was promoted to Marketing Director in 1997 and transferred to Latin America, where he served in the Fabric & Home Care division before being promoted to Country Manager for P&G’s Home Care business in Latin America. In 2003, he became Country Manager for Central America overseeing all P&G business in that region. Mr. Mininberg serves on the board of directors for SpartanNash Company, a publicly-held food distributor and grocery retailer. Mr. Mininberg earned his bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration from Yale University. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Yale School of Management and serves as Past President of its global Alumni Association Board of Directors. Mr. Mininberg brings a 30-year track record of building market-leading multinational brands and organizations, a strategic mindset, operational expertise, and seasoned leadership skills. As our CEO, Mr. Mininberg provides essential oversight of the business and organization, and a link between management and the Board of Directors. He plays a key role in communication with shareholders and leading the Company’s acquisition activities. Additionally, he provides crucial insight to the Board on the Company’s strategic planning and operations.

Timothy F. Meeker, Director Since: 2004
Chairman Since: 2014

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Since 2002, Mr. Meeker has served as President & Principal at Meeker and Associates, a privately-held management consulting firm. Mr. Meeker served as Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Development for Bristol-Myers Squibb, a consumer products and pharmaceutical company, from 1996 through 2002. From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Meeker served as Vice President of Sales for Bristol-Myers’ Clairol Division. Mr. Meeker has over forty years of experience in the consumer products industry resulting in extensive general management experience with responsibilities for sales, distribution, finance, human resources, customer service and facilities. In addition, he has a valued perspective on operational matters that is an asset to the Board of Directors. Mr. Meeker has served as a chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores advisory committee, which allows him to bring an extensive understanding of retail mass market sales and marketing to our Board of Directors.

Krista L. Berry, Director Since: 2017

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Ms. Berry most recently served as the Chief Revenue Officer at Everlane Inc., a digitally based retail start up, from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that, Ms. Berry served as the Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President of Multi Channel of Kohl’s Corporation, a department store retail chain, from 2012 to 2016. Prior to her tenure at Kohl’s, Ms. Berry served as the General Manager of North America Direct to Consumer at Nike, Inc., a multinational footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services company, from 2009 to 2011, and as General Manager of North America Digital Commerce from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Berry also held various management positions and leadership roles at Target Corporation, a retail company, from 1987 to 2007. Ms. Berry serves as an Advisory Board Member of Amer Sports. Previously, Ms. Berry served on the Board of Directors of BazaarVoice from 2017 to 2019. Ms. Berry brings retail and direct to consumer leadership experience in global brands and startups to the Board of Directors, with twenty years of digital experience, as well as critical knowledge surrounding consumer insights, digital data, social media and product merchandising.

Vincent D. Carson, Director Since: 2018

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In August 2018, Mr. Carson retired from his positions as the Company’s Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, which he had held since May 2014. Prior to his appointment as Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, he served in the capacity of Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from November 2001 to September 2010. From September 2010 to April 2014, he served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Carson had a 16-year legal career in private practice in El Paso, Texas. As a result of his prior service as the Company’s Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Mr. Carson brings his unique knowledge of the Company and our industry to the Board of Directors. This experience and knowledge of the Company’s structure, the consumer products industry and Federal, state, local and foreign jurisdictions bring great value and benefit to our Board of Directors and the Company.

Thurman K. Case, Director Since: 2017

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Mr. Case was the Chief Financial Officer of Cirrus Logic, Inc., a leader in high performance, low-power integrated circuits for audio and voice signal processing applications, from February 2007 to May 2022. Prior to that, Mr. Case served in various positions at Cirrus Logic, including as Vice President, Treasurer, Financial Planning and Analysis from 2004 to 2007, Vice President, Finance from 2002 to 2004, and Director of Finance from 2000 to 2002. Before his tenure at Cirrus Logic, Mr. Case served in a variety of financial leadership positions, including at Case Associates, Inc. and Public Service Company of New Mexico, an electric utilities company. Mr. Case received a Bachelor of Economics degree and a Master of Business Administration from New Mexico State University. Mr. Case brings broad experience in business strategy, operations, accounting, information technology, auditing and SEC reporting matters to the Board of Directors. In addition, his experience as a public company executive contributes to his knowledge of corporate governance and public company matters.

Tabata L. Gomez, Director Since: 2022

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Ms. Gomez is Chief Marketing Officer Tools & Outdoor, a unit within Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Prior to this, she was President of Hand Tools, Accessories & Storage Group, a $4 billion business unit within Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., a position she held since January 2022. Prior to her appointment as President, she held positions of increasing responsibility, serving as Chief Marketing Officer of the Global Tools & Storage Group from 2019 through 2021, after joining Stanley Black & Decker as Vice President of Brand Marketing for the Global Tools & Storage Group in June 2017. Prior to joining Stanley Black & Decker, Ms. Gomez worked for Coty Inc. and for The Procter & Gamble Company in the United States, Europe and Latin America in beauty, appliances and other consumer categories. Ms. Gomez brings expertise in global marketing, brand leadership and license product management to the Board of Directors. With broad international experience in Latin America, Europe and Asia, Ms. Gomez also provides the Board with critical international perspectives.

Elena B. Otero, Director Since: 2022

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Ms. Otero is a former executive in the international division of The Clorox Company, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer, eCommerce Officer and Strategy & Growth Officer from 2016 until her retirement in 2021. She previously served as Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of Clorox’s Home Care business unit from 2010 to 2016 and as Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of Clorox’s Greenworks business unit from 2008 to 2010. Prior to these roles, Ms. Otero held leadership positions in Latin America from 2004 to 2008, including responsibility for Clorox’s business operations in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Ms. Otero brings to the Board of Directors over thirty years of global consumer products experience, primarily in marketing, growth and strategy, ecommerce, and general management. Her experience in leading global marketing across forty countries also provides the Board with critical international perspectives.

Beryl B. Raff, Director Since: 2014

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Ms. Raff is non-executive Chairman of the Board at Helzberg Diamond Shops Inc. (“Helzberg Diamonds”), a jewelry retailer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. From April 2009 until July 2022, she served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Helzberg Diamonds. From 2005 through April 2009, she served as Executive Vice President-General Merchandise Manager for the fine jewelry division of J.C. Penney Company, Inc., a retailer of apparel and home furnishings. From 2001 through 2005, Ms. Raff served as Senior Vice President-General Merchandise Manager for the fine jewelry division of J.C. Penney. Prior to joining J.C. Penney, Ms. Raff served in various leadership roles at Zale Corporation, a national retail jewelry chain, last serving as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In May 2021, Ms. Raff was appointed to the Board of Directors of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc., where she serves as the Chair of the Compensation Committee. Ms. Raff served on the Board of Directors of Group 1 Automotive, Inc., an automotive retail operator, from 2007 to 2015. At Group 1 she was a member of the Compensation Committee of its Board of Directors and Chair of the Governance/Nomination Committee. Ms. Raff served on the Board of Directors of The Michaels Companies, Inc. from September 2014 through April 2021, a national retail chain of arts and crafts specialty stores, and was a member of its Compensation Committee. Ms. Raff serves on the Advisory Board of Jewelers Circular Keystone, a trade publication and industry authority. Ms. Raff has previously served as a Director of the NACD Heartland Chapter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to excellence in board leadership. From 2001 through February 2011, Ms. Raff served on the Board of Directors, the Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee (which she chaired from 2008 to 2011) of Jo-Ann Stores, Inc., a national specialty retailer of craft, sewing and decorating products. Ms. Raff graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and from Drexel University with a Master of Business Administration. Ms. Raff is well known throughout the retail industry and brings to the Board of Directors her experience and perspective as an outstanding merchant and multi-store retail executive. The Board benefits from Ms. Raff’s extensive knowledge of the retail industry and her valuable insight on how the Company can best serve its retail partners. Ms. Raff’s current and previous service on other boards, including public companies, also provides important perspectives on key corporate governance matters.

Darren G. Woody, Director Since: 2004

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Mr. Woody is President and Chief Executive Officer of Jordan Foster Construction, LLC, a construction firm with offices in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas and field operations throughout the United States. The firm specializes in military, commercial, multi-family, and highway construction. He has served in this capacity since August of 2000. Previously, Mr. Woody was a partner in the law firm of Krafsur, Gordon, Mott, Davis and Woody P.C., where he specialized in real estate, business acquisitions and complex financing arrangements. Mr. Woody brings a multi-disciplined perspective to our Board of Directors given his executive leadership and legal experience. This background enables him to provide valuable input with regard to many of the Company’s legal matters, significant transactional negotiations and the management of challenging complex projects.