Vista Outdoor, the parent company of 41 sporting and outdoor brands, has named Jordan Judd President of Bozeman, Montana-based Simms Fishing Products, effective Aug. 1.
Simms was founded in 1980 and acquired by Vista Outdoor in 2022. The brand is part of the group’s Outdoor Products segment and will be integrated into the new Outdoor Products Company upon completion of the previously announced separation.
Judd joins Simms from Salomon North America, where he served as President and General Manager since early 2020. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of Salomon’s North American business, including strategic planning, omnichannel sales and channel management, marketing, merchandising, financial planning, P&L management and human resources. Judd joined Amer Sports in 2007 and previously held numerous sales, product and marketing positions for both the parent company and several of its outdoor brands, including Salomon, Armada Skis and Atomic. “He is a proven business leader whose success at Salomon should quickly and easily translate to Simms, another legacy outdoor brand. We welcome Jordan to the Vista Outdoor family, and we look forward to working with him as Simms unlocks its fullest potential, reaches new heights in its product categories and creates even more separation from the competition,” Gary McArthur, Interim CEO of Vista Outdoor, said of Judd.
In addition to his professional credentials, Judd is a lifelong angler and firm conservation and environmental stewardship advocate. He is directly involved with several nonprofit organizations that work to improve access to the outdoors for all.
Vista Outdoor appointed Derek Tarlecki, the group’s Vice President Strategy & Corporate Development, as president of Simms only in March of this year. Tarlecki had already served as Simms’ Chief Integration Officer for half a year following the retirement of Simms CEO Casey Sheahan. In May 2023, Tarlecki left the group to join Low Tide, a Missouri-based strategic acquirer in the Outdoor Products and Consumer Food & Beverage industries, as President.
