LOS ANGELES — March 15, 2022 — Parachute, the premium multi-category lifestyle brand that makes you feel at home, today announced the appointment of Jeff Barker as the company’s first CFO. With more than 20 years of experience leading strategic planning and financial operations at high-growth consumer brands, Barker will oversee all financial functions for Parachute, with a focus on ensuring profitable growth as the company continues to execute its long-term business strategy. Barker is the third recent C-level strategic hire for the company, as Parachute continues to purposefully expand its executive leadership team.
“Jeff has proven himself to be an exceptional financial leader in the consumer goods space, and I am so pleased to welcome him to Parachute and our growing C-Suite team,” said Ariel Kaye, founder and CEO of Parachute. “As a financial leader, Jeff has significant experience managing large, diverse teams, and has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to successfully set up companies for sustained profitable growth. Beyond financial acumen, he brings a deep understanding of business operations from his COO experience, which gives him a unique business perspective that will undoubtedly add value to our team. We are excited to have him on board.”
As CFO, Barker will lead all financial activities and build out a best-in-class team of financial professionals. His appointment comes as the company continues to introduce new product categories, invest in new physical storefronts to expand its presence across the U.S., and deepen its commitment to sustainable materials and operations. Barker brings unique financial and operational expertise in the retail space, which will be essential as Parachute aims to accelerate its growth, enter new domestic and international markets, and carry out a long-term vision to serve an expanding consumer demographic, offering premium high-quality products for every room of the home.
Previously, Barker served as CFO and COO at JLab Audio, which specializes in making personal, high-performance audio devices. He was also CFO of the billion-dollar sporting goods company TaylorMade Golf Company. Barker co-led the sale of TaylorMade from global sportswear brand adidas to a private equity firm and drove a highly profitable turnaround of the brand. Prior to his appointment as CFO, he held a director-level position at adidas in Brazil, where he was responsible for growing sales and marketing the company, along with overseeing all general financial functions. While at adidas, Barker executed business strategy with a financial lens across three channels — wholesale, retail and e-commerce — and managed a multi-faceted evaluation and business channel redesign to ensure commercial growth and profitability. Additionally, Barker facilitated the independent expansion of TaylorMade into multiple international business markets.
With the creation of its first CFO role, Parachute continues to purposefully build an executive leadership team made up of talented industry experts. In November, Parachute announced the addition of Drew Sheriff, who previously led physical retail operations at Amazon and marketing efforts at Starbucks, as the company’s first Chief Commercial Officer. In January, the company announced the addition of Meredith Lamont, a longtime strategic advisor and former leader at Pottery Barn, Gap Inc., and Levi Strauss & Co., to be its first Chief Merchandising Officer.
Posted March 15, 2022
