Blenders Eyewear Names Jack Grey as New CEO

Blenders Eyewear’s founder, Chase Fisher, is stepping down from his chief govt officer position — and in his place, the model has appointed Jack Grey to steer its new chapter.

The corporate first launched 13 years in the past in San Diego, impressed by California’s lively life-style. Fisher, with a mortgage of $2,000, started promoting his midrange but fashionable eyewear out of his backpack whereas nonetheless a surf teacher. At this time, the model sells a spread of males’s and ladies’s sun shades and snow goggles.

Fisher will transition into his new position to turn out to be Blenders’ model evangelist — the corporate stated he’ll proceed to be a serious driver in Blenders’ overarching model ethos. His position will entail forging neighborhood connections, increasing the model’s presence and growing its NIL impression inside the sports activities and throughout the retail panorama.

“There comes a degree in each founder’s journey the place founder mode begins to crack,” Fisher informed WWD. “Most founders aren’t nice chief govt officers and my position had turn out to be way more operational than visionary. To construct the long run I see for Blenders, I wanted to shift into my true zone of genius. This transition isn’t about stepping again; it’s about entering into what I do finest. Driving model, tradition and storytelling. With Jack main the cost as chief govt officer, Blenders is positioned to scale quicker, innovate smarter and broaden globally whereas staying true to its DNA. This transfer is about constructing one thing greater than anybody particular person. It’s about taking Blenders from a disruptive challenger to a dominant drive in eyewear and life-style. The long run is daring — and that is how we get there.”

Safilo Group first introduced it will purchase a 70 p.c stake within the firm in December 2019 from Fisher for $63.9 million, finishing the majority-stake buy of the San Diego-based direct-to-consumer firm in June 2020.

Angelo Trocchia, Safilo’s chief govt officer, beforehand famous its resolution to amass Blenders Eyewear was due to its “fast-growing e-commerce-powered enterprise on the forefront of the most recent direct-to-consumer and omnichannel capabilities” and appeared to the corporate as being a key a part of its U.S. market attain inside its model portfolio.

Grey has almost 20 years of expertise in constructing and scaling world manufacturers; the corporate stated he’ll use his experience to assist drive a brand new chapter of development, innovation and improve neighborhood engagement.

Beforehand, Grey spent greater than 13 years at Adidas together with his most up-to-date position as senior enterprise unit director of U.S. basketball and was the chief advertising and marketing officer at sports activities complement model Ladder, cofounded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Extra not too long ago, he was the chief product officer and president of French freeski model Black Crows in 2023 and president of Parks Mission till January 2025.

“Chase constructed Blenders with coronary heart, hustle and a relentless perception in ‘mixing out’,” stated Grey. “That type of origin story doesn’t come round typically — and it lit a fireplace in me. My imaginative and prescient is to honor that legacy by evolving it for in the present day’s world: sharper technique, bolder storytelling and a renewed dedication to motion and individuality. This model has by no means stood nonetheless — and neither will we. I plan to scale what’s already working, whereas simplifying what’s not. My management model is collaborative however forward-charging — we’ll lead with readability, transfer with velocity and keep anchored in goal. We’ll do all the things consistent with Blenders Eyewear’s iconic slogan, ‘Life in ahead movement.’ We’ll proceed shifting and pushing with this in thoughts at all times.”