Ooni, the creator and leader of the at-home pizza oven category, has announced a strategic leadership evolution to position the company for future growth, product expansion and long-term profitability.
As the brand celebrates a milestone of $1 billion in sales and nearly 3M ovens sold globally since it began, it is strengthening its leadership team to sharpen its focus on product innovation and customer experience amid a challenging market.
Recognising the need to invest in senior expertise to ensure sustainable growth, Karthik Iyer has been appointed as Ooni’s new Chief Executive Officer to lead its next chapter. Bringing more than 20 years of global leadership experience across consumer technology and e-commerce, Iyer has held senior roles at Simple Tire, Dyson, Reckitt Benckiser, and Dell, and has served as a strategic advisor to Ooni’s Board since 2024.
Karthik Iyer, Chief Executive Officer, said: “After a year as a Board Advisor to Ooni, I’ve seen the passion for product innovation and customer experience that are the drivers of Ooni’s success. The Ooni brand continues to grow in consumer awareness across all markets and this month we marked a milestone of $1 billion in sales and nearly 3M ovens sold since we began. This is just the start.”
His appointment comes on the back of Chief Operating Officer Amanda Tolhurst joining the Executive Team in July 2025 from Specialized Bicycle Components. With a focus on operational strategy and international growth, she brings senior leadership experience from previous roles at Nike Inc., most notably as Vice President of Global Footwear Manufacturing, and Chief Operating Officer at Converse.
Ooni’s co-founders and current co-CEOs, Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland will assume new leadership roles to deliver the greatest impact for the business. Both will remain on the Board, continuing to have a high level of strategic and brand guardianship.
Tapaninaho will move to Founder: Vision and Product, focusing on future product development and design. Garland becomes Founder: Purpose and Community, leading brand purpose and connection between all Ooni stakeholders and customer engagement initiatives.
Kristian Tapaninaho, Founder, Vision and Product, commented: “Ooni is a business built on the foundation of innovation. Innovation is where we started and where we are going – the launch of Koda 2 range, Halo Pro and Volt 2 are just the beginning. We’re doubling down on our core strength with our long-term innovation strategy.
“To make our vision a reality, we need the best team to deliver our long-term growth plan. We have an amazing team with deep expertise, a global outlook and serious ambition. That’s why we’re further strengthening our senior team with the appointment of Karthik Iyer as Chief Executive Officer – he’s a seasoned operator with a track record for growth.”
Darina Garland, Founder, Purpose and Community, added: “Our global community is at the heart of Ooni’s success – the brand was founded on the power of community through the initial crowdfunder, community and creating brilliant products that enable joyful food experiences will remain central to the Ooni story as we start this new chapter.”
The brand will continue to invest in product development, having launched several new ovens and accessories in the past 18 months. The Koda 2 Max, released in 2024, marked Ooni’s first 24-inch pizza oven and was followed in 2025 by the Koda 2, Koda 2 Pro, and Volt 2 – further bolstering Ooni’s award-winning core range.
In addition to award-winning ovens, this year Ooni entered a new product category with the Halo Pro Spiral Mixer, designed to bring professional dough mixing into the home kitchen. Halo Pro sold out on day one across 6 of their 9 primary markets, with the first week of sales tracking over six times higher than target.
