Eli Winkler won a D Show Marketer of the Year Award for his work at La-Z-Boy
Smith & Noble president Eli Winkler to take the helm May 15
By Alan Wolf, YSN
Premium appliance maker Fisher & Paykel has picked Smith & Noble president and former La-Z-Boy executive Eli Winkler to run its U.S. operations as COO.
In his new role, which begins May 15, Winkler will be responsible for driving operational excellence, accelerating product innovation and creating profitable growth within the luxury appliance market for the company’s Fisher & Paykel and DCS brands, the manufacturer said.
He succeeds Kevin Dexter, who led the U.S. division since 2017 and has assumed a senior leadership role with Springs Window Fashions.
As president of Smith & Noble, a custom window treatment e-tailer, Winkler was “instrumental in accelerating growth and innovation across the business with a focus on the premium market,” Fisher & Paykel said. “His strong business acumen and deep understanding of brand development was key in honing the business’s structure and building its marketing and sales disciplines.”
Prior to Smith & Noble, Winkler was CMO of La-Z-Boy and earlier in his career served as marketing VP at cooking products retailer Sur La Table, where “his focus on consumer experience, data analytics and insights, and remaining ahead of market trends were key drivers in their growth,” the BrandSource vendor partner said.
“Eli’s knowledge of the home category and his passion for luxury lifestyle brands will be real assets in this role,” said Ken Tangredi, Fisher & Paykel’s U.S. retail sales VP. “Those who have worked with Eli know him as a values-driven and people-first leader — well respected by both direct and cross-functional teams for his ability to articulate a strategic vision and create alignment that will drive market share growth.”
Winkler will be based at Fisher & Paykel’s U.S. headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif. The company was founded in New Zealand in 1934, and along with GE Appliances is a unit of China’s Haier Group.
