Winnebago Announces Several Key Leadership Updates, New Advanced Technology Group
Winnebago Industries has announced several important updates related to key leadership positions within the organization. In addition, the company is announcing the creation of a new Advanced Technology Group to enable stronger levels of product innovation in the future.
Don Clark, president and CEO of Grand Design RV and VP of Winnebago, has committed to a multi-year agreement to continue leading Grand Design RV and serving as an executive officer at Winnebago. Under Clark’s leadership, Grand Design has experienced unprecedented market share growth within the RV industry in its first six-plus years of existence. Winnebago Industries acquired Grand Design RV in November of 2016.
Clark will continue to report directly to Michael Happe, president and CEO of Winnebago, and have responsibility for Grand Design RV’s business operations. As a member of Winnebago’s executive leadership team, Clark will also support and contribute to the execution of the company’s overall outdoor lifestyle strategies and long-term enterprise goals.
Bryan Hughes, VP and CFO of Winnebago, will have his role expanded to include oversight for the company’s information technology function and responsibility for annual and long-term strategic planning processes within Winnebago.
Jeff Kubacki, chief information officer, who will continue to serve on the WGO executive leadership team and lead IT to deliver strategic value for the whole of the Winnebago enterprise, will report directly to Hughes. Already responsible for the company’s financial functions, including accounting, treasury, tax, reporting, financial planning and investor relations, Hughes will ensure that Winnebago’s strategic, financial, and technical processes and systems are working in synergy for the benefit of the firm’s end customers, channel partners, and shareholders. Hughes will continue reporting directly to Happe.
Winnebago Industries is also announcing the formation of a new advanced technology group (ATG). Under the leadership of Ashis Bhattacharya, VP of business development, specialty vehicles, and advanced technology, the new ATG function will work closely with each of the company’s business units to identify, develop, and commercialize emerging technologies as applied to and within future products.
Jamie Sorenson, director of advanced technology, will report to Bhattacharya and lead ATG on a day-to-day basis. The initial areas of focus within the ATG will be the increasing electrification and connectivity of the organization’s products, delivering value via data acquisition from customer use of products, and improving the user interface experience for Winnebago’s end customers. Bhattacharya reports directly to Happe and will continue to lead the expansion of Winnebago’s specialty vehicles business and its overall business development activities.
Russ Garfin has been promoted to director, product management for Winnebago-branded Class B vans and Class C diesel products in the Winnebago motorhome business and will continue to report to Brian Hazelton, VP of Winnebago motorhomes. Garfin’s leadership has been instrumental in Winnebago’s growing Class B van category in North America.
Lastly, Winnebago announced this past April the addition of Joel Eberlein as the new general manager of Winnebago towables, overseeing sales, marketing, product development, and engineering. Eberlein, another North American RV industry veteran who was previously with Heartland, reports directly to Scott Degnan, VP of Winnebago towables and will work to strengthen the vitality of products and channel relationships within the business.
“Russ Garfin’s promotion is well earned given his team’s tremendous track record and continued successes with our smaller motorhomes,” said Happe. “And we have been very pleased with Joel Eberlein’s onboarding in the Winnebago Towables business and expect significant contributions from him in the near future.”
The Winnebago-branded towables line has doubled its North American market share in the last three years.
“I am extremely excited about the announcements we are making today related to these leaders,” said Happe. “We are very fortunate to have strong executives like Don Clark, Bryan Hughes, and Ashis Bhattacharya in incredibly important positions to strengthen and shape our company’s future. Each of them made a conscious decision to join Winnebago Industries within the last three years and have delivered impressive contributions to our overall progress as a more competitive and profitable organization. Especially notable is the job Don has done to build a winning culture within the Grand Design business, which has parlayed into tremendous growth and many satisfied dealers and end customers. … The introduction and evolution of a new ATG at Winnebago will also ensure that all our brands are focused on driving even more industry-leading customer-valued innovation and differentiation throughout our entire portfolio. There are many new technologies that will impact the customer experience in the RV and marine industries, and we will look to aggressively leverage those that offer the most value.”
