New Leadership Team Positions Gathr Outdoors for Accelerated Growth in Outdoor & Recreation Industry

April 21, 2026

Nashville, TN (April 21, 2026) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ — The company today announced a strengthened executive leadership team with several new additions, bringing together proven industry veterans with deep experience across the sports, outdoor, and consumer brands landscape. This strategic alignment underscores the company’s commitment to innovation, customer-centric growth, and operational excellence.

After serving on the Gathr board of directors for over four years, Jessica Klodnicki has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. With a strong background in the outdoor and consumer goods sectors—including leadership roles at KT Tape, Skullcandy, Bell Helmets, CamelBak, and Mizuno—Klodnicki brings a unique blend of brand-building expertise and operational leadership to guide the company into its next phase of growth. Klodnicki brings a longstanding commitment to the outdoor industry, including prior nonprofit board service with People For Bikes, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), and Protect Our Winters.

Joining her in key executive roles:

• Joe Henderson, a 20-year veteran of the company and current President of the Recreation and Camp segments, will now also lead the GCI Outdoor brand.
• Joel Thompson, Chief Digital Officer, will lead digital transformation, eCommerce growth, and consumer experience.
• Ted Ganio, Chief Operating Officer, will lead operations, sourcing, and supply chain.
• Stephanie Mecham, Senior Director of Human Resources, will guide talent strategy, culture, and organizational development.

“This leadership team represents the best of the outdoor and sporting goods industry,” said Klodnicki. “We’ve intentionally brought together leaders who not only understand the market, but have shaped it—from global brands to specialty retail and direct-to-consumer innovation. Their collective experience positions us to reshape Gathr Outdoors and its strong portfolio of brands for our customers and our consumers.”

Deep Industry Roots and Proven Track Records

The new additions to the leadership team reflect a deliberate strategy to invest in talent with direct, hands-on experience in the outdoor and sports ecosystem:

• Joel H. Thompson, Chief Digital Officer, is a seasoned digital commerce and consumer experience executive with more than 20 years of leadership across sports, outdoor, retail, and consumer brands. Thompson’s expertise spans eCommerce, marketplace strategy, CRM, lifecycle marketing, and the integration of digital initiatives across wholesale and retail channels. His career includes leadership roles at Hard Rock International, PGA TOUR Superstore, Under Armour, Mizuno, and Disney, where he drove omni-channel strategy, platform modernization, personalization, and data-driven growth.
• Ted Ganio, Chief Operating Officer, brings extensive operational leadership from premier outdoor brands including Helinox, CamelBak, Sierra Designs, and Mountain Hardwear, with a focus on scaling global operations, sourcing and delivering product excellence. Ganio brings over 20 years of experience in supply chain management, product design, and business operations with a proven track record of driving growth, operational efficiencies, and innovation in the global consumer products industry.
• Stephanie Mecham, Senior Director of HR, brings more than 15 years of experience as a human resources leader with a strong consumer products focus, including leadership roles at KT Tape and Blendtec. At KT Tape, she helped shape culture, organizational strategy and talent development during a period of significant growth and a successful transaction. She brings deep expertise in building high-performing teams and aligning people strategy to business performance.

“This is not just a leadership team—it’s a team of operators who have lived and breathed this industry,” Klodnicki added. “From product design and supply chain to digital commerce and culture, we have assembled a group that understands what it takes to win in today’s evolving outdoor and recreation market.”

Positioned for the Future

With this leadership structure in place, the company is poised to accelerate innovation, expand its market presence, and enhance customer engagement across all channels. The combined expertise of the team will drive forward initiatives in culture, digital transformation, operational efficiency, and brand growth.

About the Company
About Gathr Outdoors

Gathr Outdoors is a diversified global designer, manufacturer, and marketer of outdoor recreation and sporting goods, bringing together a family of category-leading brands across golf, team sports, outdoor and camp. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the company serves consumers and retail partners worldwide through a portfolio that includes GCI Outdoor, Klymit, Rightline Gear, Cascadia Vehicle Tents, WaterPORT, Softspikes, Pride Sports, Champ, and websites – golftees.com and personalziedgolfballs.com.

Mission
Gathr Outdoors exists to inspire people to spend meaningful time together outside—creating products and experiences that make outdoor adventures more accessible, comfortable, and enjoyable for everyone.

Vision
Guided by its North Star, “Together Outside,” Gathr Outdoors is redefining the outdoor industry by shifting the focus from solo achievement to shared experiences—building a future where connection, community, and adventure go hand in hand.

What We Do
Through innovative product design, engineering, and customer-focused solutions, Gathr Outdoors supports a wide range of outdoor activities—from camping and overlanding to backyard recreation, team sports and golf. Its brands are recognized leaders in their categories, delivering high-quality, dependable products that enhance every outdoor moment