Gozney appoints former Dickies global brand president Denny Bruce as new CEO

Premium outdoor oven brand Gozney has announced the appointment of former Dickies global brand president Denny Bruce as its new chief executive officer.

Bruce will lead the business alongside the company's founder and former CEO, Tom Gozney.

The new CEO is expected to reinforce Gozney's senior leadership team at a time when the company is experiencing strong business growth and rapid expansion into new markets and revenue channels.

The Gozney team has grown over 150 per cent in two years, with the opening of offices in Utah, US, and China -- growing from a small team of 29 in 2020 to a global team of 75 and counting. The brand’s current key markets include the US, Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia with mass expansion seen in all territories.

Bruce will also provide direction to the brand and be responsible for all aspects of the company’s global operations and performance by driving profitable growth through the activation of its strategic plan.

His appointment will enable Gozney, his predecessor, to transition to the role of executive chairman where he will work closely with the former to advance Gozney’s strategic initiatives.

In his new role, Gozney will also focus on driving forward the company’s exciting new product pipeline and brand-building initiatives.

“Here at Gozney, we’ve been on an incredible journey the last few years and I’m so proud of the brand we’ve built. The business holds enormous potential on a global scale, and we feel Denny is the perfect partner to lead the team alongside me on this journey,” Gozney said.

“As the brand enters a new phase of growth and expansion, Denny will unite our international teams to drive a consistent global experience that brings to life our mission to change the way the world cooks outdoors.”

Prior to joining Gozney, Bruce worked for leading workwear brand Dickies for a little over three years.

During his stint, he was instrumental in driving significant growth for the brand, delivering a 19 per cent revenue CAGR and improving profitability by more than 3X.

Before that, Bruce was the executive vice president of sales, product and marketing at Traeger Pellet Grills where he and the team quadrupled the company’s revenue and earnings during a four-year period.

Bruce also held impactful roles at Skullcandy, Vans, and Burton Snowboards.

“I feel honoured to join Gozney at such an exciting time. Gozney is a dynamic, innovative brand that has carved out a truly unique position in the market,” Bruce said.

“Although I am new in the CEO role, I have been involved with the business for over three years as a member of their Board of Directors. I can’t wait to combine a proven playbook for scaling Global brands with Tom’s obsession to build remarkable products. Not to mention, we are going to have loads of fun and create some real noise...because who doesn’t love PIZZA!” he added.