Chief Executive Officer
Shelley Huff is the CEO of Serta Simmons Bedding, a leading global sleep company with a 150-year heritage and owner of brands Serta, Beautyrest, Tuft & Needle and Simmons. Under Shelley’s leadership, SSB is focused on driving forward its mission of offering the highest-quality and most-innovative sleep solutions that help people sleep better so they can live healthier lives.
Shelley’s career in building powerhouse omnichannel brands and leading digital and operations transformations spans two decades. She joined SSB in July 2020 as EVP of Direct to Consumer and CEO of Tuft & Needle, and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in April 2021, where she led integrated supply chain, global sourcing, and oversaw the company’s manufacturing facilities across North America. Shelley was named CEO effective December 2021.
Shelley came to SSB after spending more than 15 years in the retail industry, most recently serving as President and CEO of Hayneedle.com, a Walmart-owned online subsidiary. In this role, she restructured Hayneedle’s operations and led an assortment rationalization that set the company on a path to profitability. Prior to that, Shelley held a variety of leadership roles at Walmart as one of Walmart’s Global Officers, including Vice President of Operations, eCommerce, where she was one of the critical leaders driving Walmart’s digital transformation.
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Shelley recently completed a nine-year term of service with the University of Arizona Alumni Association, culminating in her role as the Board’s Chairwoman. In this role, she led the organization through a successful merger with the University of Arizona Foundation. With a passion for empowering future leaders and strengthening public schools, Shelley also endowed a scholarship for Dependents of Teachers at the University of Arizona and supports programs at University of Arizona for students in need.
Shelley is a member of Fortune Most Powerful Women, International Women’s Forum Arizona, and YPO.
Shelley earned her bachelor’s degree in retailing and consumer sciences from the University of Arizona and her master’s degree from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
Chief Financial and Operations Officer
John Linker is the Chief Financial and Operations Officer of Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB). In this role, John is responsible for all of SSB’s financial functions, inclusive of accounting, financial planning and analysis, internal audit, tax and treasury. He also oversees SSB’s operations and supply chain division, including information security, sourcing, central operations and manufacturing.
John joined SSB in April 2022, bringing more than 25 years of finance leadership experience to the company. He came to SSB from JELD-WEN Holding, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of windows and doors, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. While at JELD-WEN, John led 15 acquisitions, coordinated the company’s initial public offering, and built a high-performing team.
Prior to JELD-WEN, John held corporate development and finance leadership roles in the Aerospace Systems Division of United Technologies Corporation and its predecessor Goodrich Corporation. Earlier in his career, John was an investment banker with Wells Fargo Securities and a consultant for Accenture.
John serves on the board of directors of HC Government Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust focused on federally leased properties. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and international studies from Duke University and a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Chief Innovation Officer
Brian Dengler is the Chief Innovation Officer of Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) and is responsible for innovation strategy, R&D and product development, aesthetics, and advanced engineering.
Brian has more than 30 years of innovation and product development experience. He has held senior leadership roles at Yeti, where he owned the product roadmap, driving the company’s future vision and path beyond coolers, as well as at Newell Brands, where he led global development and innovation, and paved the way for new technology for the Calphalon brand.
He joined SSB in 2023 from Instant Brands, a global manufacturer of kitchen and homeware appliances, where he served as Senior Vice President, Product Development and led global product development and quality for Instant Pot, Pyrex, Chicago Cutlery, Corelle and CorningWare. Brian earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati.
Chief Marketing Officer
Guy Longworth is the Chief Marketing Officer of Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB). In this role, Guy is responsible for brand marketing strategy and activations, consumer insights, creative and media for SSB’s portfolio of brands.
Guy joined SSB in April 2023, bringing more than 30 years of global marketing experience to the company. He came to SSB from Farmers Business Network (FSN), a agriculture-tech company, where he most recently served as CMO.
Prior to FSN, Guy held leadership roles at iconic brands including Intuit and Sony Interactive Entertainment America, where he led the launch of the PlayStation PS4 and was credited for returning PlayStation to market leadership. Earlier in his career, Guy held strategic marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods, and Kellogg’s.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in management sciences from the University of Manchester.
Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
Kristen McGuffey is the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB). In her role, Kristen oversees all legal responsibilities for SSB’s operations, as well as corporate governance, compliance, intellectual property, litigation and privacy. Kristen become Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of SSB in 2010 following the merger of Serta and Simmons. Previously, she held the same role at Simmons, which she first joined in 2001 as Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary.
Prior to joining Simmons, Kristen was Executive Vice President, General Counsel at Viewlocity, a global supply chain management software company. Before that role, she served as a Partner at Morris, Manning & Martin in its Technology Law Practice. Earlier in her career, Kristen was an associate at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, where she worked on corporate legal and litigation matters.
Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Kettering Institute (formerly GMI Engineering Management Institute), a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Chief Human Resources Officer
Esther Ni is the Chief Human Resources Officer of Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB). In this role, Esther is responsible for all human resources functions including compensation and benefits, diversity, equity and inclusion, employee culture and engagement, leadership development, organizational design and talent management. She joined SSB in 2019 and has held a variety of leadership roles most recently serving as Senior Vice President of HR for the company’s operations division.
Esther came to SSB from Acuity Brands, an industrial technology company that provides lighting solutions, where she served as Vice President of HR among other HR leadership roles. Esther began her career in HR working at Target and General Mills.
Esther earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
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