Dude Wipes Hires Steve Winchell as Chief Product Officer
Dude Wipes has appointed Steve Winchell to lead the company's product, innovation, research and development, quality, and regulatory functions.
As chief product officer — the first executive C-suite hire for the organization since its founding in 2011 — Winchell will join the senior leadership team while overseeing product innovation with a focus on quality and performance.
The leadership move comes as the company recently surpassed $1 billion in lifetime sales. Dude Wipes was founded in 2011 by friends who secured an investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank. Its products are now available in more than 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
"When you're a startup, everyone wears a dozen hats, including product. But when you grow into a billion-dollar brand, you need someone whose entire job is making great products even better," Sean Riley, co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.
Winchell has more than 25 years of experience overseeing R&D, product commercialization and operations for various consumer goods brands. He was most recently the EVP, chief innovation officer, at The Honest Co., where he managed R&D, supply chain and technology. Before that, he was EVP of production innovation at The Parent Co., where he led the innovation strategy during the organization's public market debut.
Winchell also spent more than 14 years at The Clorox Co., leading R&D and innovation across its home care business, as well spent time at Burt's Bees.
"The brand has already transformed an entire category and built an incredibly loyal following. I'm excited to help accelerate innovation, continue raising the bar on product quality and bring even more game-changing products to consumers," Winchell said in a statement.
