Rich Wuerthele named President & CEO of Crayola

Rich Wuerthele, an executive with more than 30 years in the consumer goods industry, will join Crayola as the new CEO, effective January 16, 2020.

Wuerthele will be joining Crayola from Newell Brands, where he has been the CEO of their Home Fragrance portfolio, including the Yankee Candle brand. Home Fragrance is a global consumer products business with end-to-end operating capabilities, as well as 450 company-owned retail stores.

“Throughout his career, Rich has been a strong builder of teams that develop high performance cultures. His experiences in product innovation, commercializing a wide range of products, and building brands runs deep,” said Mike Perry, president & CEO, Hallmark. “He is an insightful and thoughtful leader with a thirst for creativity and innovation.”

“I am honored to join a company with such a rich history and look forward to advancing Crayola’s mission to bring color and creativity to children around the world,” said Wuerthele.

Prior to Home Fragrance, Wuerthele was the CEO of Newell’s Outdoor and Recreation business, which includes the Coleman brand. Wuerthele has led a variety of other brands and divisions throughout the company, leveraging experience in marketing, manufacturing, consumer, and commercial products across multiple product categories and formats.

“I look forward to working closely with Rich and I am confident that his commitment to nurturing a vibrant culture, commercializing new products, and building the Crayola brand will be obvious to all of us,” said Perry.