Champion Homes announced leadership appointments following the retirement of Executive Vice President of Operations Joseph Kimmell, effective June 26, according to a press release.
Kimmell will remain available on a consulting basis through the end of August to support the transition.
The leadership changes are part of a succession planning process as Champion aligns its operating model across more than 9,300 team members and 129 retail and manufacturing locations.
Wade Lyall has been appointed chief sales officer, John Kastanek has been appointed chief customer experience officer, and Andrew Houser has been appointed senior vice president of manufacturing.
“We are excited to announce these leadership appointments, which reflect the depth of talent across Champion and are the result of a thorough succession planning process,” said Champion Homes President and CEO Tim Larson.
“Wade, John and Andrew bring valuable experience and a deep understanding of our business. By aligning leadership across customer experience, sales and manufacturing, we are strengthening our ability to serve customers, support our partners and execute across the business. With this team in place, we believe Champion is well positioned for its next phase of growth,” Larson said.
Lyall was appointed chief sales officer and has more than 25 years of experience at Champion Homes, including leadership roles in plant management and regional sales and business development. He holds a bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University.
“We are grateful for Joe’s many contributions to Champion over nearly three decades. He has played an important leadership role across the Company and our manufacturing organization, including developing a strong team, and we appreciate his long-standing commitment to Champion and support in helping ensure a smooth transition,” Larson added.
Kastanek was appointed chief customer experience officer and has more than 25 years of leadership experience, currently vice president of marketing and customer operations, and previously spent 17 years at Polaris Industries in product management and service operations.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management.
Houser was appointed senior vice president of manufacturing and has more than 25 years of manufacturing and retail operations experience. He currently serves as president of retail operations and joined Champion through the Regional Homes acquisition completed in October 2023.
Champion operates 46 manufacturing facilities, 84 retail locations, and Star Fleet Trucking.
Featured image by Champion Homes