Midwest-CBK Names Schneider President

Midwest-CBK LLC has appointed Keith Schneider president of the company.

In his new role, Schneider will oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations and manage the growth of Midwest Seasons, CBK and G! brands as well as oversee sales for “Simply Noelle,” the company’s top-trending fashion apparel business.

Schneider brings more than 30 years of experience as the former CEO of Russ Australia Pty Ltd., and evp/sales and gm/Russ U.S. gift division.

"Keith's unique combination of big-picture planning, and hands-on experience made him the ideal person for this role,” said Howard Ganz, president of Ganz USA LLC. "His understanding of all aspects of the gift industry, plus knowledge of international influences and trends, gives us a leader who will continue to grow these important and well-respected businesses."

Schneider began his sales career at Russ Berrie & Company. At the request of Russ Berrie, he launched the Australian subsidiary and grew the international businesses. Schneider then led Russ Australia Pty Limited, as vp/international sales and marketing. He returned to the U.S. in 2005 in the position of evp. Recently, he has been evp/sales, and divisional president, PEM America Inc., as well as CEO/founder of Wilson Fabrics.

Schneider said, "This is an exciting new challenge for me. I believe this is the time for our highly-respected Midwest-CBK and fashion-friendly Simply Noelle brands to reach new levels of success, and for G! to be the choice of the new gift industry. Together with our experienced, creative team of professionals, we will continue to grow and expand."