Burton hires two new female executives to drive growth

Burton wants to strengthen its sales and drive even more growth. Therefore, the company has announced two new additions to its leadership team: Jennifer Valentine as Chief Merchandising Officer and Debbie Lee as Chief Marketing Officer. Burton wants these strategic hires to reflect the company’s commitment to innovation and leadership in snowboarding, from product development to brand expression. Valentine and Lee both report directly to CEO John Lacy and work closely with Burton owner Donna Carpenter.

“Burton’s commitment to snowboarding is stronger than ever. We are balancing growth with our focus on social responsibility,” said Lacy. ‘We are taking targeted action to strengthen our business and three core areas: snowboarding hardgoods, performance outerwear, and Anon winter protection. Jen and Debbie are the right leaders to take Burton into its next era of profitability and purpose.’

Valentine will be Burton’s first Chief Merchandising Officer. effective January. With over 18 years of experience at Adidas, she is an accomplished executive who has held positions in various areas, including finance, strategy, sales and merchandising. At Adidas, she has led teams in multiple sports, including soccer, training and running, across all product categories, including footwear, apparel and hard goods. Most recently, Jennifer was responsible for global merchandising and go-to-market strategies in Adidas’ football division. Before that, she headed up the football business for Adidas North America, where she developed and implemented a transformative strategy to strengthen the brand’s leadership position and drive business growth in the region. In this role, she led a cross-functional team that included brand marketing, merchandising and sports marketing.

Lee, a native of New York, was drawn to Vermont by Burton’s nearly 50-year history of pioneering snowboard culture. Since October 2024, Debbie has led the brand, marketing and creative teams as Burton’s Chief Marketing Officer. Her focus is on combining Burton’s snowboard heritage with a forward-thinking go-to-market strategy that appeals to a diverse, global audience. Lee is committed to fostering a company culture that encourages innovation, teamwork and a shared passion for impact work. Before joining Burton, she held leadership positions at 4moms, Caastle, Skip Hop and Elizabeth Arden, where she developed strategies to increase brand awareness and build authentic customer relationships. With her collaborative, hands-on approach, Lee is committed to fostering inclusive, high-performing teams that drive creativity and growth.