NORTH READING, Mass., Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BRUNT Workwear, the fastest growing work boot and apparel company for trade workers in the U.S., has appointed Stephen Stanton as Chief Financial and Operating Officer, and Kati O’Brien as Chief People Officer.
Stanton and O’Brien bring decades of leadership experience at companies like ButcherBox and Staples. Stanton has extensive experience in finance and operations, while O’Brien has a strong background leading human resources teams. Both join the BRUNT team at a critical time for the skyrocketing workwear brand, with the global workwear market expected to grow to over 30 billion dollars by 2033.
“Both Stephen and Kati are crucial hires at this stage of BRUNT’s growth,” said Eric Girouard, Founder and CEO of BRUNT. “As we head into our sixth year of business, the opportunity in front of us is bigger than ever. Navigating the road ahead requires veteran leadership with a proven ability to drive scalable growth across channels, while still building a business and culture that stays true to the trades community.”
Stanton has extensive leadership experience working across private and public companies, driving financial and operational success, and enabling strategic growth. Prior to joining BRUNT, Stanton served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at the fast-growing direct-to-consumer brand ButcherBox. Before that, he was Executive Director of Finance at athenahealth, where he played a significant role in the company's sale to Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman.
“There’s a massive opportunity in workwear as a new generation enters the trades,” said Stephen Stanton, Chief Financial and Operating Officer. “BRUNT has done tremendous work disrupting the category and scaling the company in the last five years to meet the demands of the modern tradesworker, and they aren’t slowing down. I’m energized to help drive the business forward at this pivotal moment.”
Kati O’Brien’s career is centered on building strategic people solutions, fostering a culture of inclusion, and aligning talent to support business priorities. She was formerly the Chief People Officer at Bulfinch. Before that, she worked at Staples, where she guided the company and its employees through several enterprise-wide transformations, transactions, and change management strategies.
“What draws me to BRUNT is how deeply they center trade workers in everything they do,” said Kati O’Brien, Chief People Officer. “It’s special to see how much BRUNT shows up for the community they serve and it's apparent in the company’s culture. This is the blueprint that will guide my work as I support BRUNT’s next phase of growth.”
Stanton and O’Brien are BRUNT’s newest executive hires, following the appointment of Columbia and Nike Leader Scott Roberts as Chief Merchandising Officer last fall.
About BRUNT Workwear
Launched in 2020, BRUNT Workwear is retooling the way the workwear industry works by collaborating with trade workers to develop boots and apparel that provide the best performance, durability and comfort hard-earned money can buy. BRUNT products are developed to provide solutions that make real workers' lives easier, a mission brought to life by the fact that each signature product is named after a real worker who inspired the design. BRUNT's workwear lineup includes a range of waterproof, safety toe, and breathable boots for every worker, as well as a broad selection of apparel and accessories that are built to deliver performance and comfort on the job.
Contact:
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