Leatherman Tool Group Selects New Senior Director of Product

180one recently partnered with Leatherman to help them identify and select a new Senior Director of Product Development.  Check back soon for more details!


About the Company


We invented our category, and we make what we sell. We employ over 550 people in Portland, OR where we are headquartered, and where we also manufacture, package, and ship all our products from. We buy steel from Ohio, bring it to the east end of our building, and then ship our tools to 80 countries around the world, from the west end of our building.


We create products that prepare you for the expected and the unexpected and unlock your potential to empower you to be part of your own epic tale of triumph. We facilitate epic tales of triumph not only through our products, but also through resulting relationships, careers, community, and social responsibility – environment, fair trade, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.


LTG Guiding principles:

  1. Dominate multi-tools (in product excellence and revenue)
  2. Make what we sell (in Portland, OR)
  3. Privately held – in the Leatherman family (debt free)
  4. A great place to work for committed employees


Leatherman’s Manifesto: We believe we are here to empower people for whatever life throws their way. Regardless of who you are, we believe that with the right tools in hand, anyone can achieve greatness. We believe we can make significant contributions to the world through innovation, so we value perseverance in our work and ingenious design in our products. We believe in growing and supporting our most valuable asset – our employees. That’s why we believe in integrity and authentic collaboration, which instills trust in one another and allows us to create global solutions that our competitors cannot copy. We believe in self-honesty and humility, which fuels change and growth from our failures.


And when we reflect these values, we believe we’re building a thriving culture that celebrates diversity promoted personal and professional growth, develops respect for one another, and cultivates a community that can solve any problem.


About the Opportunity

In direct support of LTG growth goals the organization has added a new role, Senior Director of Product, reporting directly into the CEO and a participant on the organization’s senior leadership team. In addition to standing up a new internal strategic product function, this position will be responsible for the design, implementation, and leadership of comprehensive product line strategies for targeted industries, including identification of opportunities, market needs, product roadmap, product solutions, market potential and sales potential.


This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is energized by:


  • Articulating opportunities and insights that we can act on gathered through research, consumer testing and observations. 
  • Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders and subject matter experts for opportunity identification, definition, and prioritization.
  • Serving as the global expert of targeted industries, maintaining current knowledge of Leatherman’s consumers, markets, and competition.
  • Leading innovation that is both relevant to and supportive of our brand values.
  • Developing strategies for product, pricing, market entry, and management of products in the NPD Process from Strategy through Post-Launch evaluation to meet corporate objectives for revenue, profit, and brand.


This new addition represents a critical investment in LTG’s strategic growth plan. Come make an impact with a premium brand, category inventor and dominate leader.


Essential Functions

It is essential for all employees to adhere to Company policies.

  • Applies business acumen to maximize the units sold, revenue and profit from our existing categories while supporting our brand values.
  • Identifies and prioritizes consumers segments that we should target for new products.
  • Identifies consumer needs that are valuable and relevant and feasible to address with our resources.
  • Articulates consumer needs in a way that enables our design, engineering, and manufacturing teams to be able to innovate solutions.
  • Develop and lead the product line strategy for targeted industries including price positioning and product development in market segments and channels.
  • Successfully implement product plans to achieve industry objectives and strategies.
  • Develop and implement market segmentation strategies and plans.
  • Lead the process for product ideation and opportunity identification.
  • Works with cross-functional colleagues to anticipate and resolve priority challenges
  • Lead the process for updating industry, channel, market data and trends.
  • Develop preliminary budgets (at NPD milestones) for product plans including development resources.
  • Evaluate product recommendation from existing and potential customer for product feasibility. 
  • Develop strategies to improve product position domestically and in global markets.
  • Create pricing strategies to support targeted channels.
  • Lead the Voice of Customer and Voice of Channel Partner process.
  • Own the product life cycle and execute exit strategies.
  • Develop and implement processes to assess and develop packaging that satisfies customer needs and corporate packaging strategies.
  • Lead cross functional team(s) to develop channel and key customer promotions.
  • Development of new product budget: including capital expenditures, marketing and sales expenditures required to execute product launch.
  • Participate in the creation and adherence to the department budget.
  • Leads, hires, and manages a team of professionals. This includes supervision, individual and team performance, and mentoring to ensure effective execution of individual and team responsibilities
  • Participates as a member of the LTG senior leadership team.


Competencies

  • Strategic thinking engagement, involvement, and alignment. Defining how the role fits in and influences a positive business outcome.
  • Builds trust, able to tie in and gain support at all levels, sees what is happening and accurately predicts and articulates what will happen. Teaches. Possesses curiosity and optimism. Respectful.
  • Customer focus, creates value, present and always engaged
  • Collaborates and provides leadership among our sr. leaders, a resource to accomplishing goals for company, team and individuals.
  • Business acumen, ability to connect the decisions they make and tangible outcomes that support our Mission, Vision, Values, Guiding Principles, and strategy.
  • Confident & accountable for self, team to which they lead and belong. Articulate and able to inspire excitement and lead people to a vision.
  • Passionate, skilled, and experienced in the role. 
  • Attracts top talent – Attracting and selecting the best talent to meet current and future business needs.
  • Builds effective teams – Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
  • Cultivates innovation – Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
  • Decision quality – Make good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
  • Drives vision and purpose – Painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.
  • Ensures accountability – Hold self and others accountable to meet commitments.
  • Global perspective – Taking a broad view when approaching issues, using a global lens.


Education and Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree required. MBA with marketing focus or related experience preferred.
  • Ten or more years of progressively responsible product marketing and project management experience preferred.
  • Strong track record of leadership and the ability to attract, develop and retain talent
  • High level of analytical thinking with demonstrated talent for identifying, scrutinizing, improving, and streamlining work processes
  • Flexible team player who thrives in environments requiring ability to effectively prioritize and juggle multiple concurrent projects
  • Ability to build collaborative partnerships cross-functionally
  • Ability to deal with ambiguity and be comfortable in a situation that is not always well defined or changes frequently
  • Good communication skills, a professional attitude, and enthusiasm for one’s work are all prerequisites for this position.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to speak and communicate effectively.
  • Work independently and possess a high level of self-motivation and initiative.


Leatherman Tool Group Inc. believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success. That contribution should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but not limit the individual nor the organization to just the work identified. It is our expectation that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors.


Interested in learning more? 180one is a retained search firm engaged by Leatherman to conduct this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley at 180one at: tom@180one.com.

By Effie Zimmerman • October 20, 2026
Chief Information Officer ABOUT THE COMPANY With roots dating back to 1938, The Papé Group is the West’s leading supplier of capital equipment solutions. Today, Papé operate across nine states with over 4,000 team members, proudly representing premier brands including John Deere, Kenworth, Hyster, Ditch Witch, and more. What sets Papé apart is its commitment to long-term relationships, both with customers and employees. As a fourth-generation, family-led business, Papé believes in the value of a handshake, the importance of service, and the impact of leadership that stays close to the work. ABOUT THE POSITION The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides leadership and management of the information technology function for the company. The CIO is responsible for providing leadership and development to the corporate technology team, including software development, infrastructure, support, web development, database administration, and applications development. The CIO will partner with company-wide business leaders to align their business needs as well as corporate initiatives with cost-effective technology strategies and solutions to achieve those goals as the company continues to grow and evolve. Examples include the company’s One Customer | One Papé initiative that is designed to strengthen the relationship between customers and the company through a variety of mediums, with a heavy emphasis on leveraging technology. The CIO will be a proven technology and business leader and possess broad-based progressive IT leadership experience. The role requires sophisticated management skills in IT planning, organizational design and development, and process thinking. Papé has completed 25+ acquisitions over the past 8 years, with each acquisition being fully integrated into Papé’s technology infrastructure and systems on day one. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Team Management and Development Lead, train, develop, and coach a high-performance information technology team; identifying appropriate staffing needs, skill sets, or alternative outsourcing. Align IT's organizational structure and initiatives with company-wide requirements for technology solutions, information needs and security requirements. Responsible for optimizing the IT demands and the supply capacity of the teams to prioritize the assignment of resources. Set objectives and strategies for the IT team. Strategic and Business Planning Develop and execute short-, mid-, and long-term strategic technology and system roadmaps that translate business requirements into projects, goals, objectives, and deliverables with the business partners and end-user experience in mind. Establish the objectives for operations, maintenance, and enhancement of the IT systems and a plan for continuous improvement of the service levels. Help define IT infrastructure strategy, architecture, and processes. Drive a coordinated ERP approach across all of Papé’s operating companies to ensure the success and integrity of the overall design and integrations with other technologies. Technology and Infrastructure Full operational management responsibility for information and telecommunication technology functions and services; ensures appropriate implementation and support for business systems by managing and coordinating applications development/maintenance, data processing, data center infrastructure, local/wide area network administration, office automation, and technical support activities. Responsible for building and optimizing the evolving needs of system-level architectural capabilities to support the data and integration strategies. Evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, and costs of existing technology and systems, research new or alternative solutions, and make recommendations to senior management as appropriate. Maintain working knowledge of new and evolving technologies and systems for possible application to development or future organization needs. Identify emerging issues in technology and digital processes and develop strategies to implement value-added technology, collaborating with functional areas of the business impacted. Participate in the evaluation of new tools, platforms and technologies and articulate the business case for investments. Provide architecture leadership around technology interfaces with systems outside of the ERP, including those that reside with the OEMs, and the company’s CRM. Ensure that the organization continues to stay current with the latest technology security applications and tools to guard against cyber threats. Project Management Develop and manage project plans in collaboration with functional business leaders to ensure proper resource utilization, expense management, and timely completion. Leads large IT projects, including the design and deployment of new IT systems and services. Develop and manage the annual information technology department budget; includes project planning, expense management, and external resource utilization. Prioritize, assign, and manage a portfolio of technology projects in support of business goals; ensure delivery of projects within time and cost limitations. Partner with other functional leaders on implementation and company-wide adoption of new technology and/or processes through effective change management. External Relationships Provide expertise and leadership in the selection and management of vendors to provide low-cost, high-efficiency solutions. Represent Papé at industry conferences and be an active member with the OEMs to help influence technology outcomes. Business Partnering Engage, build, and partner with executive leaders and key stakeholders to ensure alignment with current and long-term business objectives. Work closely with cross-functional leaders to identify technology business needs, develop collaborative solutions and execution plans in alignment with the business strategy. Be obsessed with delivering results, insist on high standards, possess a knack for thinking strategically and “finding a way”, and an external awareness and curiosity to innovate and disrupt within the capital equipment market. Participate, as a member of the business leadership team, in strategic planning activities by providing systemic and technological solutions where business opportunities or challenges are identified. Ensure a business intelligence structure and tools are in place to deliver appropriate information to decision makers. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in information systems, business, or equivalent analytical and strategic management capabilities acquired through on-the-job experience and training. 10+ years of progressive leadership experience with 5+ years in a senior leadership position managing a similar scope and size technology team. Proven success leading IT, preferably in a complex, multi-location, multi-business organization, preferably involving equipment dealerships, distribution, or similar operationally intensive businesses. Experience integrating and progressively modernizing custom legacy applications alongside cloud, SaaS, and emerging AI technologies. Ability to analyze business needs and recommend and implement appropriate solutions. Ability to develop and collect key performance indicators to measure performance. Experience managing a wide variety and scope of information technology projects that successfully achieve time, cost, and operational expectations. Comprehensive knowledge of IS technology architecture, software, ERP experience, cloud computing, mobile computing, IT security, and company-wide training. Experienced in leading teams of IT professionals and staff across multiple technical disciplines Ability to communicate vision, motivate workforce, create effective teams, and build strong peer relationships. Ability to prioritize and manage multiple ongoing projects and responsibilities to meet business technology needs. Experience in developing and supporting customer-facing business systems and/or implementing related digital transformation initiatives. Strong ability to collaborate functionally with other management and leadership team members. An effective communicator who clearly and concisely conveys information and ideas to all levels of the organization and uses your influencing skills to advance shared interests and business goals. Innovative problem solver with critical thinking skills and strong analytical abilities. Experience with system integration and change management. Interested in Learning More? 180one is assisting The Papé Group in this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley/ 503.334.1350/ tom@180one.com .
By Effie Zimmerman • October 13, 2026
Chief Financial Officer ABOUT THE COMPANY Kenworth Sales Company is a multi-generation, family-owned commercial truck dealership founded in 1945 and headquartered in West Valley City, Utah. With more than 1,400 employees across 38 locations, the company provides comprehensive truck sales, parts, service, leasing, rental, and financing solutions throughout the Intermountain West and Mid-Atlantic regions. Recognized as Kenworth Dealer of the Year in both 2020 and 2025, Kenworth Sales Company has built its reputation on quality products, superior service, and a long-standing commitment to its customers and communities. ABOUT THE POSITION Reporting directly to the President, the Chief Financial Officer provides strategic leadership and oversight across accounting, financial reporting, compliance, information technology, security and risk management, finance, and treasury. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the CFO plays an integral role in shaping the Company’s business strategy, financial direction, capital planning, and overall operations. Essential Duties and Responsibilities SENIOR MANAGEMENT Actively participate as a member of senior management to execute the company’s business strategy. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the dealer principal, board of directors, family business council, president, COO’s, and senior management. Ensure compliance with the company’s vision, mission, and values. Coordinate the preparation of annual business plans for all departments, including forecasts for future business growth, general economic, industry, and financial conditions. Analyze financial operations and identify areas of improvement. Develop innovative and effective financing strategies to support Company operations and growth. Evaluate growth opportunities including valuation analysis, due diligence, financing, risk assessment, purchase agreement support, and post-acquisition integration planning. Develop and foster productive relationships with outside tax, legal, accounting, banking, insurance, and investment advisors as appropriate to support succession planning for ownership and management. FINANCIAL REPORTING Supervise the company’s accounting and financial reporting systems. Ensure financial statements fully and accurately represent the financial position of Company operations and comply with GAAP standards. Design, maintain, and enforce appropriate internal controls, approval authorities, segregation of duties, financial policies, and fraud prevention processes to safeguard Company assets and ensure the integrity of financial reporting and business practices. Ensure reporting compliance with government authorities and regulators, franchisors, and funding institutions. Engage and coordinate all audit functions as directed by the board of directors. Coordinate and supervise internal audits for compliance with Corporate financial standards and related Company policies and procedures. Develop and maintain financial dashboards, key performance indicators, variance analyses, and management reporting tools that provide Management timely insight into financial performance, profitability, liquidity, departmental results, and emerging business trends. RISK MANAGEMENT Supervise the company's risk oversight, including the identification, management, and remediation of physical, virtual, reputational, financial, strategic, and operational risks inherent in all Company operations. Engage and effectively manage physical damage, liability, and business operations insurance coverage, loss prevention, cybersecurity, etc. CASH MANAGEMENT Supervise the company's cash flow. Develop and review pro forma financial and cash flow forecasts to ensure adequate money supply for Company operations. Oversee customer account services, including the receivables process. Develop and maintain strong banking and lender relationships including credit facilities, borrowing capacity, debt obligations, lender reporting, covenant compliance, and other treasury activities. Administer the company's financial obligations, ensuring compliance with contract terms including accounts payable and payment schedules. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Supervise the company’s information technology (IT) program, including cybersecurity oversight, systems reliability, data protection, software and vendor management, disaster recovery planning, business continuity support, and technology initiatives. QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field required; MBA and/or CPA preferred. Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in senior financial, accounting, or audit roles, with experience operating at a leadership level. Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, corporate compliance, financial analysis, acquisitions, and negotiations. Experience with business operations, information technology, and/or the heavy-truck or commercial vehicle industry preferred. Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and retain high-performing teams while improving organizational effectiveness. Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, time-management, and decision-making skills. Ability to analyze complex business issues, develop sound financial and business-case recommendations, and communicate them effectively to senior leadership. Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and operate effectively in a fast-paced, changing business environment. Willingness and ability to travel as needed for business purposes. Interested in Learning More? 180one has been retained by Kenworth Sales Company to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Lisa Heffernan / 971.256.3076/ lisa@180one.com .
By Effie Zimmerman • September 16, 2026
General Manager- Leasing ABOUT THE COMPANY With roots dating back to 1938, The Papé Group is the West’s leading supplier of capital equipment solutions. Today, Papé operates across nine states with over 4,000 team members, proudly representing premier brands including John Deere, Kenworth, Hyster, Ditch Witch, and more. What sets Papé apart is its commitment to long-term relationships, both with customers and employees. As a fourth-generation, family-led business, Papé believes in the value of a handshake, the importance of service, and the impact of leadership that stays close to the work. Papé Kenworth is one of the largest Kenworth truck dealers in the Western United States, providing sales, leasing, rental, parts, and service for medium and heavy-duty trucks. Founded in 2007 as part of Papé Group, the division supports commercial fleets and owner-operators with a commitment to maximizing uptime through exceptional customer service, expert technicians, and a network of locations across the West. ABOUT THE POSITION Reporting to the President of the Papé Kenworth business, the General Manager (GM) of Leasing will be responsible for all Papé PacLease company operations and performance. General areas of responsibility will include business planning, profitable business growth, asset management and profitability, vehicle maintenance standards, and the profitable sale of vehicles at the end of the leasing term. Additionally, this position will oversee the short term rental fleet and lease return sales, contract maintenance, rental performance, and financial and personnel management for this division. This role demands a strategic mindset, operational oversight, and a strong leadership presence to guide branch teams in delivering outstanding service, sales, and profitability. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Develop and execute the overall strategic plan for the leasing division, including revenue, profitability, fleet growth, operational standards, utilization, customer service, and retention. Establish annual and long-term business plans, budgets, forecasts, and performance goals. Drive revenue growth while maintaining disciplined control of expenses and operating costs. Manage fleet acquisition costs, depreciation, residual values, financing costs, maintenance expenses, insurance, and other major components of leasing profitability. Oversee the acquisition, deployment, utilization, maintenance, and disposition of fleet vehicles. Develop and manage processes and procedures for management and tracking of assets, including accurate visibility into lifecycle costs and total costs of ownership. Lead and develop the sales team and strategies for sales and customer acquisition. Establish a disciplined sales process, pipeline process, and forecasting. Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Recruit, develop, motivate, and retain a high-performing leasing organization. Collaborate with dealership leadership to create a unified culture and operating strategy for the Leasing business. CANDIDATE PROFILE The ideal candidate brings a proven track record of successful management experience in commercial truck leasing or dealership environments. Key strengths include: Proven track record of successful management experience within the dealership or leasing environment. Demonstrated experience in developing teams, setting performance goals, and achieving sales targets. Experience developing and executing sales strategies that consistently exceed revenue and profitability targets. Experience leading and developing standard operating procedures for lease operations, asset maintenance and utilization, customer qualification, lease structuring and pricing, long-term leasing contracts, and customer communication. Preferred Bachelor’s degree is preferred, or equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible industry experience. 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in truck dealership or leasing sales and operations. Minimum of 5 years in leadership roles. Interested in Learning More? 180one is an executive search firm and is assisting Papé Group in this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley/ 503.334.1350/ tom@180one.com .
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