OUR
LEADERSHIP
|
John Venhuizen
President and CEO
John Venhuizen was named President and CEO effective April 1, 2013. In January 2012, John Venhuizen was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. John joined Ace in 1992 and has served in a variety of regional and corporate-based marketing, merchandising, advertising and business development positions. He was promoted to Vice President, Business in 2006, and named Vice President, Business Development, International and Retail Training in January 2010.
John is a graduate of Trinity Christian College and holds a business administration degree and a bachelor of science degree in Marketing.
John Surane
Chief Merchandising & Sales Officer
In January 2014, John Surane was promoted to Executive Vice President, overseeing Retail Operations, Merchandising, Advertising, Marketing and Paint. In January 2017, Surane’s responsibilities were expanded to include the senior leadership positions for The Supply Place, category management, retail pricing, product content and the store environment.
John joined Ace in March 2009. Previously, he was the president of Skil Power Tools, a division of Bosch Tools, for three years. He also has experience with Home Depot in various merchandising roles, most recently as global product merchant involved with approximately $2 billion in sales, representing 50 product categories and more than 200 suppliers.
John earned a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration at Northwestern State University, Louisiana. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
Lori Bossmann
Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
Lori Bossmann was named chief supply chain officer in June 2018. She was previously named executive vice president in January 2014 leading Supply Chain, Inventory Replenishment, Retail Support network, Loss Prevention and Property Administration areas.
Lori joined Ace in October 1986 as general accounting manager, handling the budgeting process and financial reporting activities. She was named assistant controller in 1990 and four years later was promoted to controller. In September 1997, she was promoted to the position of vice president – controller and in October 1999 was named vice president finance. In October 2000, Lori was named vice president merchandising. She was named vice president of Merchandising, Marketing and Advertising in November 2005. Lori was named vice president, Supply Chain Operations and Planning in 2009.
Prior to Ace, Lori was employed at KPMG Peat Marwick.
She earned a bachelor of science degree from Northern Illinois University.
William Guzik
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer
William Guzik was promoted to Executive Vice President in January 2014. He now oversees IT and Legal along with his CFO & Chief Risk Officer responsibilities.
William Guzik joined Ace Hardware as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in July, 2012.
William has successfully led finance teams through complex and challenging environments, helping shape many results-focused strategic initiatives. He worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, JG Industries, Delray Farms, LLC and most recently, Midas International, where he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
William is a Certified Public Accountant. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from DePaul University.
Kane Calamari
Chief Human Resources Officer
Kane Calamari rejoined Ace in May 2008 as Vice President of Retail Operations, where he oversaw the field operations, new business and paint marketing teams. In 2014, Kane assumed responsibility for the Human Resources organization, including Organizational Development, Corporate Communications, the Ace Foundation and Customer Care.
Prior to joining Ace, Kane worked at Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, where he was the senior vice president of sales, N. America. He worked for Ace from 1990 to 1998 as a retail marketing manager.
Kane holds a bachelor of science degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Kim Lefko
Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer
In 2018, Kim Lefko was appointed to the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer. Lefko leads the brand’s global marketing and advertising efforts and digital initiatives. Along with her team, she is responsible for developing innovative strategies that further Ace Hardware’s brand promise and positioning Ace as the most convenient and helpful hardware stores on the planet.
Lefko previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Weber Stephen Products, maker of the Weber grill. In that role, she advanced the leading BBQ brand globally with a focus on digital marketing and integrating technology into the product offering. She led the development of a centralized global website that streamlined e-commerce, fulfillment and services. Prior to that, Lefko served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Company Officer at Radio Flyer where she oversaw the development of the company’s first internal Sales and Marketing organization responsible for launching the e-commerce platform for the brand.
Lefko also brings a wealth of experience from her time at Newell Rubbermaid. She held various marketing leadership roles as she helped transition Graco Children’s Products to one of the largest, most profitable business units within the company. Lefko started her career in sales and marketing at Black & Decker with various positions across Product Management and National Account Management.
Lefko earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.
Brian Wiborg
Senior Vice President
Brian Wiborg rejoined Ace Hardware in December of 2013 as Director of Category Management and Business to Business, he was promoted to Vice President, Retail Development and Supply in 2014. In January 2017, Brian was promoted to Vice President of Marketing, Retail Training and Store Operations. In June of 2018, Brian an organizational shift brought Brian back into Merchandising as the Vice President of Merchandising, reporting to John Surane. In July of 2020, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Merchandising.
Prior to joining Ace, Wiborg worked at The Room Place, where he was the Vice President of Marketing.
He worked for Ace Hardware from 1994 to 2010 as an Inventory Analyst, Associate Buyer, Category Manager and Director of Marketing and Advertising.
Wiborg holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Degree from Illinois State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Benedictine University.
Rick Williams
Senior Vice President, Information Technology
Rick Williams joined Ace Hardware in 1988 as a software developer in IT. He worked in the retail division of IT for more than 15 years, and has worked with and supported every department at Ace during his career.
He has held various leadership positions within the organization, including director of software engineering, director of business relationship and, prior to his promotion to the executive level, senior director, IT business relationship & software engineering. He was promoted to Senior Vice President in February 2021.
Rick earned his undergraduate degree at Saint Mary's University in Minnesota, and his Masters of Business Administration from DePaul University.
Kerilyn Johnson
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Keri joined Ace Hardware in 2013 as Senior Corporate Counsel and was promoted to Assistant General Counsel in 2015. Prior to joining Ace Hardware, she spent 10 years as Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Midas International, four years as a technology attorney at 3Com Corp., and four years as an attorney at Motorola, Inc.
Keri earned her law degree from DePaul University and her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Augustana College. In addition, she graduated with honors from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago with her LL.M. in Intellectual Property.
Bill Kiss
Digital and Retail Strategy and Innovation
In 2018, Bill Kiss was appointed to the position of Vice President, Digital, Social and Customer Relationship Management.
Before being appointed Vice President, Kiss was the Head of Digital, Ecommerce and Retail Strategy at Ace Hardware Corporation. Bill's accountabilities included designing and implementing an Omni-channel brand position; running the Online Business Unit; and innovating and improving the overall retail business model for the company.
Prior to Ace, Bill was Chief Marketing Officer for Sears Holdings, the parent company of Sears and Kmart where he oversaw the company’s marketing strategy and spend of print, broadcast and digital. Prior to that, Bill was the Chief Digital Officer for the company where he was instrumental in the company’s progress in the digital space, with Sears achieving “genius status” per Ad Week, while also delivering sustained double digit ecommerce growth. Additionally, Bill has served as Chief Marketing Officer and Online General Manager for the Craftsman Brand and Tools and Hardware business unit of Sears Holdings.
Bill started his career at the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency working in planning roles for clients such as Procter and Gamble, McDonald’s and Kraft. He then worked for Burger King where he helped develop the successful back-to-basics and breakfast marketing strategies, and then went on to Laughlin Constable’s advertising and marketing consulting group, where he led strategic brand marketing projects for multiple consumer retail and package goods brands, including Wolverine World Wide, Pizza Hut and Firestone.
Bill attended Northern Illinois University for his Bachelor of Science undergraduate degree, and Loyola University, Chicago for his post-graduate MBA work.
Andy Enright
Vice President
In March 2019 Andy Enright was promoted to the position of VP, Retail Development & Strategy. Andy will lead large portions of Ace's retail model initiatives including Retail Training, Operations Development, Store Systems, Professional Retail Services and the next iteration of Ace's retail growth strategy.
In July 2016, Enright was promoted to the role of One-to-One Channel Marketing Manager, where he was responsible for the marketing and program management elements of the Ace Rewards program. In 2017, Enright was promoted to the role of Director of Retail Analytics and Ace Rewards, leading the areas of Retail Analytics, Consumer Insights, and Ace Rewards. In 2018, Enright moved to the role of Senior Director, Retail Development and Strategy responsible for Retail Training, Operations Development, Store Systems, and Professional Retail Services.
Enright joined Ace Hardware in 2010, and held various roles within the Category Management team during his first four years. His responsibilities included retail product mix and pricing. In 2014, Enright was promoted to the CRM Analytics Manager, where he led the team responsible for Ace Rewards customer segmentation, reporting, and analytics.
Prior to joining Ace, Enright worked for Molex Inc. where he held positions in Inventory Planning and Product Management.
Enright holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from North Central College.
John Kittell
Vice President
John Kittell joined Ace Hardware in 2000 as a Retail Pricing Analyst. He has worked in several corporate departments before moving over to Retail Operations in 2014. He has held various leadership positions within Retail Operations, including Director of Corporate Retail Operations, Director of Project Management, Director of the Eastern Division, and Corporate VP of New Business. He was promoted to Vice President of Retail Operations and New Business in January of 2021.
John earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business from Illinois State University.
Steve Locanto
Vice President, Controller
Steve Locanto joined Ace Hardware in 2014, as Corporate Controller where he oversaw the implementation of multiple new and highly-complex accounting standards, as well as significant changes to Ace Hardware's core business. Locanto was promoted to Vice President, Controller in 2019 after leading the Ace accounting function through substantial changes including the integration of financial results for Emery Waterhouse, Jensen, Emery Jensen Distribution, The Grommet, Great Lakes Ace and Handyman Matters.
Prior to joining Ace, Locanto had a 20-year career with Navistar International where he held several different positions within finance including the Assistant Corporate Controller. Prior to his time at Navistar, Locanto spent six years with Household International as a Senior Internal Auditor, Financial Analyst and the Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis.
Locanto holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Chartered Global Management Accountant and is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the AICPA.
Rick Di Maio
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain
Rick DiMaio joined Ace in October 2022 as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, to lead Ace’s distribution, RSC traffic, and Corporate engineering operations.
Prior to joining Ace, Rick served as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at The ODP Corporation (formerly Office Depot), where he had worked since 2012 in various leadership positions. In this role, Rick was responsible for Transportation, International Operations, Call Center Operations, Inventory Management, Network Design and Strategy, Real Estate, and Forecasting. Earlier in his career, Rick served as Vice President of Logistics Operations and President of Sears Logistics Services at Sears Holdings., where he led a team of 300+ managers and an additional 5,500 hourly associates across 40 distribution centers while also leading Industrial Engineering, Construction, and Maintenance functions for the supply chain.
Rick holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and an MBA from Roosevelt University.
Brett Stephenson (Rock Springs, WY)
Chairman of the Board
Served as a director since 2012
Expiration of Present Term: 2021
Board committees: Audit Committee, Compensation / Human Resources Committee
Stores: Two stores in Wyoming and three in Colorado, representing suburban, urban and rural formats. Parent store: Rock Springs Ace Hardware (store no. 8349-C), Rock Springs, Wyo.
Background
- Holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University.
- Started his retail career in 1989 at Orchards Ace Hardware. From 1993 to 2002 was an employee of Ace Hardware Corporation, most recently as National Retail Operations Manager. Took a short break and returned to Ace Hardware where he has been an equity member and President of Ace Hardware Home Centers, Inc., for the past eight years.
- Previously worked at Starbucks Coffee Company as a national account executive.
- Active member of Rocky Mountain Ace Stores where he serves as a board member, and as the Advertising Co-Chair. Has also sat on various Ace and vendor committees, most recently the Independent Hardware Council with the Scotts Company and Ace Hardware’s Advertising Steering committee.
- Keeps busy with his wife and son. He goes from the gym to the baseball diamond to the gridiron, depending on the season. Brett spends his nights attending his son’s practices and his weekends going to his games.
Dave Barker (Austin, TX)
Member Director
Served as a director since 2018
Expiration of Present Term: 2021
Board committees: Retail / Supply Chain Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee
Stores: 4 stores in the Spicewood and Austin areas in Texas
Background
- President of BBCO, LLC
- From 2004 to 2013, Mr. Barker was Division Vice President for Dollar General
- From 2000 to 2003 he was Vice President – Information Systems of Everyday Stores
- In 2009, Mr. Barker retired from the United States Air Force Reserve where he served as a logistics officer
- Mr. Barker received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Information Systems from Saint Leo University
Steven Burggraf (Grand Rapids, MN)
Member Director
Served as a director since 2019
Expiration of Present Term: 2022
Board committees: Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee
Stores: Ten stores located in Minnesota and North Dakota, including Burggraf’s Ace Hardware and Paint Company
Background
- Steve has been a Grand Rapids, Minnesota resident since 1989 and has been active in several business and community organizations.
- Served on the Ace Hardware Dealer Group for the Northern Minnesota Group for 10 years.
- Director of the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation for 9 years.
- Board Member of Northspan Group, Inc., a private nonprofit business and community development consulting firm, for 6 years.
- Board Member for Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital for 6 years.
- National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow.
- Board of Director for Grand Rapids State Bank.
- Board of Director for Minnesota Lakes Bank.
- Steve teamed up with Grand Itasca Foundation to start Caring Fore Kids Charity Classic in 2014. An annual event that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that help expand, develop, and enhance pediatric care at his local hospital, Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital.
- He holds an Associate degree in Small Business Management and in Sales and Marketing from the University of Minnesota.
Kristin Grunder (Rome, NY)
Member Director
Served as a director since 2016
Expiration of Present Term: 2022
Board committees: Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee
Stores: Rome Ace Hardware
Background
- President and co-owner of Rome Ace Hardware, a single Ace store located in Rome, N. Y.
- Grunder currently serves on numerous Ace Hardware committees, including an input team that influences decisions surrounding Ace's paint business
- She also serves as an Ace Retail Group Leader
- Grunder serves on the board of directors of the Rome Hospital Foundation and as a member of the board of trustees of the Jervis Library
- She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Ithaca College
Matthew V. Mazzone (Brooklyn, NY)
Member Director
Served as a director since 2020
Expiration of Present Term: 2023
Board committees: Retail / Supply Chain Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee
Stores: Two-store Ace chain in New York City, one of which is located in Brooklyn and the other in the Rockaway Park section of Queens
Background
- Obtained ownership of family’s Brooklyn location in 2003, and in 2013 joined Ace Hardware.
- Involved in many community organizations and events during his career, and in 2016 was named the Ace Hardware “All Star Retailer” for his work with The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
- Served as a member of the Paint and CMN Retailer Input Teams, as well as the Ace Retailer Group Leader Advisory Board.
- Mr. Mazzone and his wife, Rose, own a stand-alone Benjamin Moore Paint Store in Brooklyn, New York. He also served on Benjamin Moore’s local and national retailer advisory councils.
- Mr. Mazzone holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from St. John’s University.
Mark Schulein (Huntington Beach, CA)
Member Director
Served as a director since 2014
Expiration of Present Term: 2023
Board committees: Retail / Supply Chain Committee, Compensation / Human Resources Committee
Mark Schulein is president of Crown Ace Hardware, a 16-store chain in southern California and Arizona, a position he has held since 2004. Mr. Schulein has worked in this family business since 1994.
Background
- Schulein holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of San Diego.
- National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow. NACD Fellowship is a comprehensive and continuous program of study that empowers directors with the latest insights, intelligence and leading boardroom practices.
- Member of Ace's Multi-Store Strategy Advisory Team.
- Member of the Ace Foundation Retailer Input Team
- A founding member of the Progressive Ace Leaders and Pterodactyly Management Groups.
- Serves on the Ace Hardware International Board of Directors.
- In 2013 Schulein was recognized as a nominee for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals National Corporate Person of the Year.
- Currently serves on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity in Orange County, Calif.
- Served in active leadership roles with nonprofit organization, Ocean of Hope for several years, as well as the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District Advisory Board.
- Served as a Board Director of Bassman Blaine, a premier home décor, design, and sales organization based in Costa Mesa, Calif.
- Long-term member of Vistage International; a CEO leadership organization and an active member in the Newport Beach Business Forum group.
- Proud husband and father of three children, active ocean sports enthusiast including surfing, paddling and long distance racing.
Mark says...
The best business advice he has ever been given: "No matter if you are selling shoes, cars or expensive watches, it is a people business. Take good care of them."
Advice for other Ace owners: "Create a culture of service and excellence; and lead by example."
The most rewarding part about owning your own business: "Making a difference and providing opportunities in peoples' lives; both for our customers and our team members."
Mark Driscoll (Sugar Grove, IL)
Member Director
Served as a director since 2021
Expiration of Present Term: 2024
Board committees: Retail / Supply Chain Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee
Store: Sugar Grove, Ill.
Background
Mark is the owner of DriBar Ace LLC, which opened the Ace Hardware and Pet Supply in Sugar Grove, Illinois in 2014. Prior to Ace, Mark spent 38 years in the grocery business, with the last 27 of those working for Supervalu, Inc., a grocery retail and wholesale company. He spent the first half of his career there working with independent retailers supplied by Supervalu in the Midwest, Southeast, and then nationally and internationally. After Supervalu acquired Albertsons, he served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Jewel Osco in Chicago, from 2007 through 2008, and the VP of Operations of Jewel Osco from 2008 through 2012. He ended his career at Supervalu as Corporate Vice President of Retail Operations where he oversaw 1,100+ supermarkets across the country. For the past four years, Mark has been the Northwest Chicago Dealer Group leader. He also served three years on Ace’s Marketing RIT and three years as a Director on the Windy City Ace Stores Governing Board of Directors. In addition, Mark has served on several charitable boards including the Cub Foods Charitable Foundation and the SVU Charitable Foundation. He attended UW- Eau Claire and holds an Associate Degree in Supermarket Management from Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota, and a Mini-MBA from the Minnesota Management Institute of the University of Minnesota School of Business.
Rick Bennet (St. Louis, MO)
Non-Member Director
Served as a director since 2014
Expiration of Present Term: 2021
Board committees: Retail / Supply Chain Committee, Compensation / Human Resources Committee
Co-CEO of CCA Global Partners a cooperative of more than 2,500 independent retailers specializing in the floor covering and home remodel business..
Background
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Missouri University, MBA from Washington University in St Louis, Directors Certificate from Wharton School of Business.
- Served as Adjunct Professor at the Olin School of Business at Washington University.
- Worked for the accounting firm of Arthur Young and Company for three years after college.
- CEO of Famous-Barr Department Stores, St Louis; CEO of Kaufmann’s Department Stores, Pittsburgh; Vice-Chairman May Department Stores; CEO of Direct Holdings Worldwide; Board of Directors at Drugstore.com (Nasdaq) and Charming Shoppes (Nasdaq); Trustee and Treasurer Glacier National Park Conservancy.
- Activities include fly-fishing, skiing and playing golf. As well as spending time with his three children and a grandchild.
Rick Says
His favorite saying is: “‘If it is to be it is up to me,’ set your sights on achieving important things, take the initiative, and then make then happen!”
Karen May (Lincolnshire, IL)
Non-Member Director
Served as a director since 2017
Expiration of Present Term: 2023
Board committees: Audit Committee, Compensation / Human Resources Committee
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Mondelez International, Inc. (formerly Kraft Foods, Inc.). May has also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Baxter Healthcare, Inc., in addition to serving in a variety of Finance and Accounting Roles at Baxter, including as VP of Corporate Audit, VP of International Finance, and VP of Finance (Controller) of the Hospital Supply Division.
Background
- Extensive experience working with Audit and Compensation Committees of Corporate Boards, as an audit professional (CPA), as a member of management, and as a member of Corporate Boards of directors.
- Is qualified as an "audit committee financial expert" for SEC purposes.
- Currently a member of the Board of Directors of MB Financial, Inc. and previously a member of the MB Financial, Inc. Audit Committee.
- Past experience as an outside board member and chairperson of the Audit Committee of several Registered Annuity Funds at Allstate Insurance.
- Has also worked at Price Waterhouse (now PWC) where she was a Senior Audit Manager, serving clients in various industries.
- Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1980.
Kirsten Pellicer (Longmont, CO)
Member Director
Stores: Ace Hardware Longmont
Background
Kirsten Pellicer is a second-generation store owner of Ace Hardware in Longmont, CO. She has been involved in the family business in various roles since its inception, becoming Owner and President in 2017. During her career with Ace, she has been a member of both the Board and Advertising Committee of Rocky Mountain Ace Stores and has served on many Retail Input Teams with Ace Hardware Corporation. Ms. Pellicer has been a member of Twin Peaks Rotary since 1998 and has held various Board positions, including serving as its President in 2020. She also currently serves on the Board of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority and has also served with several local charitable organizations. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Adams State University and MBA from the University of Colorado.
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