Burton Snowboards promotes John Lacy to CEO, names Donna Carpenter as board chair

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Feb 21, 2020

Snowboarding brand Burton Snowboards has announced that John Lacy will become the company’s sole CEO, after having shared the role for the past 18 months with Burton owner, Donna Carpenter. 

Carpenter will now serve as chair of the Burton board of directors, a position formerly held by her late husband and founder of the Burton brand, Jake Burton Carpenter. The founder, snowboarding legend and pioneer of the sport passed away in November 2019 at the age of 65, after complications from a relapse of testicular cancer. 

“John has earned the trust of Jake, myself, our sons and our board of directors to lead Burton as the CEO,” said Carpenter, owner and chairman of Burton.

“This promotion is well-earned and has been a milestone Jake and I have been planning for quite some time. Several years ago, we told John that if he wanted to be the CEO, he needed to surround himself with a strong group of leaders, strengthen the brand and culture, focus on the strategic plan and deliver solid financial performance. John was up to the challenge and our business has gotten consistently stronger since John became president and then co-CEO.”

Lacy began his career at Burton in 1997, and has since held a wide range of roles at the company, including senior vice president of snow products, senior vice president of global product and NA sales, executive vice president and chief product officer, and president, among others. He began his role as co-chief executive officer in October 2018. 

"Together, [Lacy and Carpenter] have proven to be a strong leadership team, overseeing two consecutive years of exceeding the company’s financial goals by increasing sales, reducing inventory and enhancing direct to consumer initiatives," the company said in a press release. 

Carpenter will continue to be "very involved" with Burton as the company’s owner and chair, the company said. In particular, she will focus on "protecting Jake’s legacy by protecting and advocating for the sport of snowboarding," supporting international markets and advocating for diversity both in the sport and in the industry. 

Together with her three sons, Carpenter will also continue to play a role in projects spearheaded by her husband, including Mine77, the product collection launched in December 2018.