Ooni Welcomes Stephen Krauss as President of North America
Former Breville Americas President bolsters the strategic expertise, growth mindset, and passion for innovation on Ooni’s leadership team
Edinburgh, Scotland (September 24th, 2024) - Ooni Pizza Ovens, the creator and leader of the home pizza oven market, announced today that Stephen Krauss is joining the company as President of North America. With a proven track record in business development and strategic leadership at Breville, Krauss brings a wealth of experience to his new role at Ooni.
In his position, Stephen will oversee Ooni’s North American operations, driving growth strategies and expanding market presence. His leadership skills and expertise within the consumer durables industry will contribute significantly to Ooni’s continued success and expansion.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Stephen Krauss to the Ooni family as President of North America,” said Kristian Tapaninaho, Founder and Co-CEO of Ooni. “Stephen’s history of driving growth and his forward-thinking vision fit perfectly with Ooni’s mission to create moments of joy and connection through trailblazing products that elevate the cooking experience. He’s the ideal person to help us strengthen our roots, elevate our innovation, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible at Ooni.”
Stephen most recently served as President of Breville Americas, a role he held for over 5 years. During his tenure, he oversaw impressive growth, guiding the company through successful category expansion projects. Before that, he was President of Breville, Canada, where he established Breville as a market leader in Canada. Since leaving Breville in 2022, he has consulted for the company, bringing his insights and knowledge to further their development.
Stephen’s extensive background in consumer brands, from candy to coffee machines, gives him a unique understanding of market trends and consumer behavior, which will be instrumental in guiding Ooni’s strategic direction.
“We felt an immediate connection with Stephen,” Greg Muir, Ooni’s Chief Commercial Officer added. “He’s incredibly charismatic, down-to-earth, and shares our passion for relentlessly focusing on our consumers. We’re confident his leadership will elevate our entire organization as we continue to expand our footprint.”
Based in Montreal, Stephen will split his time between Canada and Austin, TX, where he plans to relocate. A devoted family man, Stephen enjoys spending time with his wife Paola and their three sons. He’s passionate about health, wellness, and golf—and, most importantly, he’s a pizza lover, making him a natural fit at Ooni.
With Stephen Krauss at the helm, Ooni is poised to seize new opportunities, innovate its product offerings, and strengthen its trailblazing leadership in the cooking industry. His appointment reaffirms Ooni’s commitment to delivering top-quality products and experiences to customers around the globe.
About Ooni
Founded by husband-and-wife team Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland in 2012, Ooni Pizza Ovens revolutionized the cooking landscape and created a new category when they launched the world’s first portable pizza oven. Known for bringing portable pizza ovens to backyards all over the world, Ooni is a trailblazing company that creates products to elevate the joy of being together.
Ooni’s ovens give users the ability to cook authentic, flame-cooked pizza in just 60 seconds, ready to start cooking in 25 minutes or less and heating up to 950 ˚F — twice the temperature of a home oven and the searing temperature you need for incredible Neapolitan-style pizza. Beyond pizza, Ooni’s ovens are capable of searing steaks to perfection, roasting vegetables and so much more.
In addition to offering award-winning ovens, Ooni has a comprehensive range of must-have accessories and carefully curated ingredients for pizza cooks, all available on ooni.com.
There is only one planet to make pizza on, and Ooni believes they have a responsibility to protect and restore it. Ooni’s annual Impact Report gives a detailed summary of their key focus areas, the progress they’ve made, and lays out what’s to come.
In 2022 Ooni became a Certified B Corp™. After undertaking a rigorous assessment and verification process, Ooni has joined a community of like-minded companies and leaders using business as a force for good.
To explore the full Ooni Pizza Ovens product range, visit ooni.com.
Media Contact
Meg Herrington, Backbone Media
meg.herrington@backbone.media