Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM OCTOBER 2015 32 G R EG KAD E N S NAM E D PR E S I D E NT, KALAMAZOO OUTDOOR GOU R M ET Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™, a leading manufacturer of high-end outdoor kitchen equipment and appli- ances, announced that it has named Greg Kadens as president, effective immediately. Kadens brings more than 20 years of entrepreneurial, marketing, and leadership expertise to the company. He will be based at the company's headquarters in Chicago and report directly to Pantelis A. "Pete" Georgiadis, chairman of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. "Greg is a dynamic leader who understands our brand and brings an impressive operating track record of driving organic growth through customer engagement across a number of industries. He has a deep understanding of what homeowners and those in the design professions who serve them want from a high-end appliance manufacturer," said Georgiadis. "I look forward to working with Greg as we continue to build on Kalamazoo's strengths of delivering the best outdoor cooking experience and setting the bar for outdoor kitchen appliance innovation, performance and quality." "I am thrilled to join the Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet team. The products this company designs, manufactures and sells are without question the absolute best outdoor kitchen equipment available," said Kadens. "With interest and participation in the high-end outdoor cooking and entertaining market continuing to grow rapidly, it's a great time to join the leader in the industry." Kadens comes to Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet from Kiefer Swim Products in Zion, Ill. where he served as the company's chief executive officer. Prior to Kiefer Swim Products, Kadens was the general manager of a key division of Block and Company. Before that, he served as the vice president and general manager of the furniture, fixture, equipment and interior design division of American Hotel Register. While at American Hotel Register, he made a significant impact on the business by expanding the company's relationships with hotel brands, management companies, interior designers, architects and other suppliers. Kadens' entrepreneurial spirit came to the forefront when he and a partner bought Chiasso, a Chicago- based home furnishings company, out of bankruptcy and reestablished its reputation and sales. The company was later sold to Inmod. com. He began his career at the office products company Quill, now a division of Staples. During his 15-year tenure, Kadens held a number of customer-facing and general management roles in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Kadens has a Bachelor of Science degree from Ithaca College and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. TE M POE H I R E S VP OF PROD UCT D EVE LOPM E NT & PARTN E R ALLIANCE S SANJ IV KARAN I Sanjiv Karani has joined TEMPOE as the Vice President of Product Development & Partner Alliances. Karani will serve as a key asset to the leadership team, by advancing development of TEMPOE's new products and ancillary offerings, as well as enhancing the current program. Karani will utilize the company's overall goals and vision to help drive their marketing strategy forward with competitive products. Prior to joining TEMPOE, Karani served in similar roles at several notable corporations, including Zipscene, Cincom, Neputation, PointRoll and Convergys. With more than 15 years of field experience, Karani will help TEMPOE serve the needs of its retail partners. "I'm excited to collaborate with our team to take TEMPOE's offerings to the next level," says Karani. "By continuing to develop innovative new products and services and service them accordingly, we can help our retail partners expand their consumer business." G R E G K A D E N S P R O M O T I O N S S A N J I V K A R A N I RO

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