– USA, TN – Varsity Brands, a portfolio of brands that promotes and elevates student experience and participation while celebrating academic and athletic achievement, announced today the appointment of Matthew E. Rubel as CEO. Founder Jeff Webb will remain active in the business as Chairman of the Board.
“I am pleased that we have recruited such an accomplished executive as Matt Rubel as CEO and look forward to working closely with him in this next chapter of growth for Varsity Brands,” said Mr. Webb.
“This role offers the opportunity to leverage my experience in a dynamic environment where we bring a unique level of engagement to those involved in extra-curricular and community activities,” Mr. Rubel said. “I look forward to helping Varsity build on its culture of excellence and key competitive strengths, and to partnering with Jeff and the talented management team at Varsity Brands to further our goals of building a great, engaged community celebrating student achievement.”
Mr. Rubel is an accomplished retail executive, most recently serving as a senior advisor to leading private equity firms, including TPG Capital and also on the Boards of The Hudson Bay Company, HSNi and Supervalu. He has over 30 years of successful leadership experience in the consumer and multi-channel retail industry, including as Chairman/CEO of Collective Brands, the global parent company of Payless Shoes, Saucony, Sperry Topsider, Keds and Stride Rite, and Chairman/CEO of Cole Haan during its period of growth into a global multi-channel luxury lifestyle business. Previously, Mr. Rubel has held senior leadership roles at Tommy Hilfiger, Revlon and J. Crew.
“After a thorough search, we are delighted that Matt has agreed to become Varsity’s CEO and to join the Board,” said Andrew Janower, a Managing Director at Charlesbank Capital Partners. “Matt brings a great strategic mind, keen insight into the consumer industry, and a proven track record of building shareholder value across multiple brands and businesses.”
“Under Jeff Webb’s leadership, Varsity Brands has been transformed into a multi-divisional organization that is poised for tremendous growth,” said Brandon White, fellow Managing Director at Charlesbank Capital Partners. “With Matt as CEO teamed with Jeff as Chairman, we believe we have an unbeatable combination to unlock Varsity’s long-term potential.”
Varsity Brands is a portfolio company of Charlesbank Capital Partners and Partners Group.
About Varsity Brands
With a mission to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for young people, Varsity Brands elevates the student experience, promotes participation and celebrates achievement through three unique but interrelated businesses: Herff Jones, A Varsity Achievement Brand; BSN SPORTS, a Varsity Sport Brand; and Varsity Spirit. Together, these assets promote personal, school and community pride through their customizable products and programs to elementary and middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities, as well as church organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams and corporations. Through its 4,400 dedicated employees and independent representatives, Varsity Brands reaches its individual and institutional customers each year via catalog, telesales, e-commerce sites and direct sales channels.
- Disclaimer - News, data, and statements included in this release are intended exclusively for general information purposes. Talent4Boards does not guarantee that news is accurate or about the correct person and accepts neither liability for the consequences of the reader’s reliance, nor responsibility for the accuracy of the information. Nothing in this release should be considered for decisions about referred securities. Products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
