After more than 20 years at Oxo, Alex Lee has announced his retirement effective June of 2017.
Larry Witt, currently Oxo’s evp/sales and market development for housewares, will replace Lee, said Julien Mininberg, CEO of Helen of Troy, Oxo’s parent company. Effective March of 2017, Witt will hold the title of president of housewares.
“Larry’s promotion is the result of a long running succession plan and development process,” Mininberg said during a conference call. “It is a great pleasure to promote a highly qualified candidate from within and ensure continuity in housewares.”
He added, “Alex has contributed immeasurably to the company. On behalf of our board and management team, we sincerely thank him for his tireless efforts, outstanding results and for the exceptional team he has built.”
Witt joined Oxo in 1994, starting as national sales manager, then adding market development, customer service, and product development. In 2014, he became an evp and has been increasingly involved in all areas of growth and strategic planning. Before joining Oxo, he worked for Dayton Hudson Corporation as divisional merchandise manager, Federated Department Stores as a buyer, and Surya Inc. as vp/sales and marketing.
In the 12 years since Helen of Troy acquired Oxo, global net sales for Oxo have grown from $100 million in 2004 to $311 million at the end of fiscal year 2016, according to the company. That growth has been driven by expansion into new countries and product categories such as small electrics, cookware, bakeware, baby products, medical devices and garden tools.
