Sue Rechner, Confluence Outdoor CEO and president, steps down

Richard Krause succeeds Rechner as the next president and CEO of Confluence Outdoor.

Sue Rechner, the longtime CEO and president of Confluence Outdoor, stepped down from her post this week. She will continue to be a major shareholder in the company, and will support the new president and CEO, Richard Krause, during the transition.

Rechner felt it was time to move on after spending a decade at the company, according to a press release about Krause’s appointment. She will be missed in paddling circles. “Sue and her team turned a company in crisis into one of our most important partners,” says Darren Bush owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports. “I am proud of her for turning around what was a company on the edge of collapse. Paddlesport is losing a great leader. I hope that the new leadership continues following her example.”

“I’m proud of the amazing brands and the incredibly talented team that I’ve had the honor to work with,” she said in the release about her decision to step down. “We built Confluence Outdoor into the global leader in paddlesports. I’m excited about the future of Confluence Outdoor under Rich’s leadership and look forward to seeing the brands, and the health and vitality of paddlesports, continue to grow.”

Rechner built a “world-class” organization out of Confluence, and is leaving it in a much stronger position than when she started, said Paul Vigano, senior managing director at J.H. Whitney & Co., LLC, the private equity firm that owns Confluence Outdoor, in the press release issued Tuesday. “We’re confident that Rich will build on the strong foundation that Sue built and bring continued growth to Confluence and our retail partners,” he said.

Krause comes to Confluence from FeraDyne Outdoors, where he was CEO.

“I look forward to building on the momentum that Sue has built,” he said in the press release. “We’re positioned to have a very strong 2017.”