Kenny Ballard resigns as president of BOSG

Kenny Ballard has resigned as the president of the Boulder Outdoor Specialty Group (BOSG), effective Oct. 31, 2010. BOSG includes Kelty, Sierra Designs, Slumberjack, Ultimate Direction, Wenger and Kelty K.I.D.S.

SNEWS® received word of the resignation on Sept. 3 and Ballard confirmed the news when contacted. He said his departure was truly for personal reasons — primarily so he could spend more time with his family and friends.

On Sept. 6, Ballard and his family began the drive to Shelburne, Vt., to move into a new home and be near his wife’s family. Although his own parents are in North Carolina, he told us just being on the East Coast will make spending time with them far easier. 

“I have absolutely been blessed with the opportunity to lead a phenomenal team and to be the steward for some iconic brands through challenging and great times,” Ballard told us. “I have been enriched personally and professionally, and I am really looking forward to a smooth transition here as I move on to my next adventure.”

Ballard will be working from the Isis offices (also owned by American Recreation Products, parent company of BOSG) in Burlington, Vt., as well as periodically from the Boulder, Colo., offices until Oct. 31, he said.

Dale Philippi, CEO of American Recreation Products, told SNEWS, “I am disappointed to see Kenny Ballard leave our business. We very much appreciate his passion and all that he has done during his long tenure at ARP. We also respect his personal and family situation, priorities and decision. We wish he and his family all the best.”

As for next steps, Philippi told SNEWS the company was going to immediately, but carefully, evaluate its next steps.

“We will immediately begin the process of evaluating all of our go-forward options in the context of our growth strategy. We are working with Kenny to plan and ensure a smooth and seamless leadership transition,” said Philippi. “In addition, we have strong and capable people teams and processes in place that enable us to continue our strategic mission of growth by providing leading-edge and innovative outdoor product and apparel to our customers.”

–Michael Hodgson