CLEVELAND – Feb. 25, 2022 – Jodi Berg, Ph.D., CEO of Vitamix, has announced plans to retire September 30, 2022. To assist with the transition, she will move into the role of Executive Advisor on May 31, Steve Laserson, Vitamix’s Chief Commercial Officer, will succeed Berg as CEO.
“The timing is right for Vitamix and for me personally,” said Berg. “The company is in a very strong financial position and poised for its next century of strategic growth. It has been my privilege and honor to serve this company and the people dear to me for almost 30 years. I am proud of all we have accomplished together.”
“I thank Jodi for her vision, passion and dedication while leading Vitamix for many years,” said John Barnard, Executive Chairman of the Vitamix Board of Directors. “Most recently, she successfully navigated Vitamix through the profound challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Berg is recognized for turning Vitamix into an iconic brand that fueled a worldwide movement around whole food and transformed the blending industry. In her time leading Vitamix, she also developed an acclaimed purpose-driven culture.
Laserson will be the first CEO from outside the company’s founding family. As the incoming CEO, he is responsible for the company’s strategy and operations, reporting to the Board.
“Both the Board and I have confidence in Steve Laserson to lead Vitamix into its next era of growth. I have been incredibly impressed by the spirit of service and authentic collaboration Steve brings to his work here at Vitamix, and by the transformative impact he has already demonstrated,” Barnard said. “I continue to be inspired by his personal and professional commitment to the mission of our brand, and I have confidence that his energy, leadership and deep expertise in sales and marketing strategy, product development and innovation will help us continue to grow market share and deepen our impact.”
The Vitamix Board of Directors in partnership with Berg have been planning for leaders from outside the Barnard family to succeed her, while keeping the company under family ownership. As Laserson moves into the role of CEO, Greg Teed will take on the role of President, following his past two years as Vitamix’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer.
Prior to joining Vitamix, Laserson was Senior Vice President of Sales at American Greetings Corporation, where he served in a broad range of key commercial leadership positions. During his 24 years with the Cleveland-based designer, manufacturer and retail service provider of social expression products, he drove profitable growth and improved the company’s market leadership position both in the U.S. and abroad. Laserson is a native of northeast Ohio and resides in Beachwood.
Before returning to Ohio, Teed served as CFO of Comoto Holdings, where he was charged with overseeing the consolidation of the company’s businesses into one organization. As CFO of Arhaus Furniture, LLC, he helped to more than triple the size of the business over his six-year tenure. Teed now resides in Hudson.
“I am truly excited to have the opportunity to lead this iconic brand and to expand upon the legacy that the Barnard family has built,” said Laserson. “I look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our customers by providing the highest quality blending solutions and expanding the reach of whole food health.”
About Vitamix
The Vitamix family of companies is privately held, and family owned. Founded in 1921, Vitamix manufactures high-performance blending equipment for home and commercial use. Millions of consumers around the world use Vitamix products to help achieve their personal health and culinary goals. The company’s commercial customer list reads like a “Who’s Who” of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs say their Vitamix machines are as important to them as their knives. The company developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s, which ignited the smoothie movement, and has been named the Best-in-Class Overall beverage blender for nine consecutive years by readers of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine. Vitamix continues to win awards for its products, culture, and user experience, and is found in more than 130 countries. The company is headquartered in Olmsted Township, Ohio, near Cleveland. For more information, please visit www.vitamix.com.
Media Contacts
McKinzey Saig
PR Management Supervisor
(216) 210-6944
msaig@vmtllc.com
Nancy Fishburn
Head of Corporate Communications
440-552-0836
nfishburn@vitamix.com
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