Bram Kleppner has overseen considerable changes in his tenure at Danforth Pewter, a small Vermont-based manufacturing company. Probably the most significant restructuring entailed preparing Danforth Pewter for the departure of its Founding CEOs, Fred and Judi Danforth –no small undertaking. Kleppner, however, was uniquely qualified for the challenge, having worked through a similar transition involving another renowned pair of Founding CEOs – Ben and Jerry. Unilever’s acquisition of Ben & Jerry’s was a masterclass in transforming a relatively small founder-run operation into an externally managed and owned business. Through Kleppner’s experience, he was able to hone his business acumen and develop the necessary skills for the next stage of his career with Danforth Pewter.
After helping the firm rebound from a decade of stagnation as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Kleppner voluntarily cut his position to help Danforth Pewter weather the recession of 2008.
When he returned as the CEO a few years later, the transition of the nearly 40-year-old family-owned and founder-run business to a non-family management and ownership model fell into his hands.