Joybees Names New Balance, Finish Line Alum Ken Dayley as CEO
Joybees has named Ken Dayley as its new chief executive officer.
According to the Denver-based casual lifestyle footwear brand, Dayley has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and growing direct-to-consumer brands through strategic digital transformations, achieving profitable growth and thriving in an entrepreneurial environment.
“We are thrilled to have Ken lead our company and welcome him into this role at such a pivotal time,” Joey Separzadeh, chairman of the board of Joybees, said in a statement. “His ability to quickly assess and identify the growth potential for Joybees has been impressive. Ken’s roots in the casual footwear industry and his direct-to-consumer expertise are exactly what we have been seeking. His global experience and business acumen will ignite our financial performance through broader brand collaborations, expanded distribution, and consumer awareness.”
Dayley most recently served as the chief digital officer at Body Art Alliance. Prior to Body Art Alliance, he was instrumental in the consumer PopSockets craze, first as global e-commerce director and then as vice president of global direct-to-consumer.
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From 2014 to 2018, Dayley provided global digital consulting services to New Balance, establishing a data-driven strategic digital growth plan to support robust growth in the U.S. and international expansion in Europe.
And from 2012 to 2014, Dayley worked as the digital development business manager for Finish Line, leading all aspects of new digital business development with an emphasis on affiliate marketing programs.
“It’s an exciting time as Joybees enters its next phase of growth and development,” Dayley added. “By building upon the company’s foundational values, I look forward to leveraging and expanding upon the well-known product offering of Joybees to broaden the awareness and accessibility of the family-friendly footwear brand. In today’s economic climate, I believe that with the board’s support, we are well-positioned for continued growth as a leader in the molded footwear business.”
Dayley replaces former CEO Kellen McCarvel, who, along with Joybees, has been embroiled in a legal battle with footwear rival Crocs. In a 2023 lawsuit, Crocs alleged that McCarvel, a former Crocs employee, left the company with “a tranche of several thousand documents containing Crocs’ highly confidential and proprietary business information” as well as the content of a Crocs email account. The case still appears to be ongoing.
