EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA – Starkey has announced the promotion of two veteran leaders to the company’s executive team to continue to elevate Starkey and add to the current trajectory of growth in 2023 and beyond. Karen Spaeth has been named Chief Marketing Officer and Michael Tease has been named Chief Retail Officer.
“As we continue to develop caring technology to help connect people to the world around them, we want to ensure we have the right leaders in place who are committed to our culture and to delivering results that will elevate Starkey today and beyond,” said Brandon Sawalich, President and CEO at Starkey.
“Congratulations to Karen and Michael. I am confident their experience and proven leadership will bring creativity, innovation, and results in the years ahead.”
Since starting her career with Starkey in 2009, Spaeth has held numerous leadership roles within the Marketing department including leading Events, Communications, and overall Customer Experience. Most recently serving as the Vice President of Communications, she has a vast knowledge of Starkey customers and creative strategies to drive growth. Spaeth’s expertise and leadership have been critical to some of Starkey’s most successful customer-facing endeavors.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Spaeth will lead the global marketing team to execute impactful product launches, continue to showcase Starkey as the premium hearing technology company, and manage Starkey’s brand in strategic customer channels. As the industry enters the era of the digital patient, Spaeth’s expertise in brand and relationship management will elevate Starkey’s customer-first marketing strategy and vision.
Tease is an industry veteran who’s well accomplished in building global brands and accelerating sales growth. His steady leadership and record of results in renewing the Audibel Network value proposition and executing other growth strategies led to his recent promotion to Vice President of Global Retail, where he was responsible for all U.S. and international retail teams.
In his new role as Chief Retail Officer, Tease will own the creation and execution of Starkey’s strategic objectives for its U.S. and international retail markets, including the Audibel Nationwide Network. He will develop and execute growth strategies to accelerate sales growth across the globe.
About Starkey
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Owned by Bill Austin since 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey has more than 5,000 employees, operates 29 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide.
Source: Starkey
