The sun rises over golden hills of grass with two wingshooters and their dog

Leadership Bios

Simon Perkins standing in the forest

Simon Perkins

President

Simon Perkins is the president of Orvis and the third generation of the Perkins family to lead the company since its founding in 1856. He joined Orvis in 2012 and has filled leadership roles across Merchandising, Adventures, and Brand Marketing teams, serving as vice president of Brand Marketing and chief operating officer overseeing the execution of the company’s long-term strategic planning.


Before joining Orvis, Simon spent 11 years as an upland hunting and fly-fishing guide in Montana, sharing his love of the outdoors, fishing, and hunting with clients. In his time at Orvis, Simon has championed projects aimed at diversifying the sport of fly fishing, such as the 50/50 On the Water initiative and the Breaking Barriers Award, which highlights individuals broadening the fly-fishing audience. Simon also served on the board of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, currently serves on the board of Trout Unlimited Headwaters, and has been a driver of Orvis’s involvement in advocacy for conservation projects in locations such as Bristol Bay, Alaska, and Florida’s Everglades.


Simon is the son of Leigh “Perk” Perkins, former Orvis CEO, and grandson of Leigh H. Perkins, who purchased The Orvis Company in 1965.

Robert Bean wearing shooting glasses smiles for the camera with a shotgun over his arm

Robert Bean

Chief Financial Officer & Chief Administration Officer

Rob joined Orvis in 2005 as corporate controller. In 2008, he was promoted to CFO and added additional responsibilities in 2010 when he was named COO. In early 2019, he became CFO/CAO which encompasses a variety of responsibilities ranging from Finance to Operations—the breadth and depth of his impact touching virtually every piece of the business over time. 


Rob started his career in finance as an auditor for Ernst & Young, became the assistant controller at Business Express Airlines, and then moved on to Garnet Hill, Inc. where he filled the position of controller from 1999 to 2005.


He graduated from the Whittemore School of Business at the University of New Hampshire in 1996.

Reenie Benzinger with her dog on a snowy mountainside

Reenie Benziger

Chief Product Officer

Reenie joined Orvis in December 2020 as the chief product officer. She provides executive oversight for all product-related functions to further Orvis’s leadership across all product categories.


Reenie brings more the 30 years of experience with specialty, wholesale, and retail merchandising to Orvis. She served as the vice president of Global Apparel at Nike, where she led the creation and execution of new product concepts throughout the worldwide market. 


She brings deep experience in women’s and men’s apparel including expertise in technical and outdoor product. She has learned from and impacted two best-in-class brands, Gap Inc. and Nike, in addition to working for Pac Sun and Ann Taylor throughout her career.


She is a graduate of the University of Vermont.

Sheila Shekar Pollak smiles while hiking in a forest

Sheila Shekar Pollak

Chief Brand Experience Officer

Sheila joined Orvis in 2022 as Chief Brand Experience Officer. Sheila leads Orvis's Marketing, Creative, User Experience, E-commerce, and Retail departments driving a powerful, relevant, and differentiated brand and customer experience. She has over 25 years of brand strategy, marketing, creative, and communications experience, which includes a very successful 16-year career at Gap Inc. where she helped position Athleta as a purpose-driven, high-growth brand in her role as CMO. Most recently, Sheila was the SVP and CMO of Biossance, a top clean beauty brand. Sheila is currently a strategic advisor to Allyson Felix’s women’s empowerment and shoe brand Saysh.  


Sheila graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Rebecca Jones smiles widely while showing off a caught fish

Rebecca Jones

Chief People Officer

Chief People Officer Rebecca Jones oversees the people and culture strategy and internal communications at The Orvis Company, headquartered in Sunderland, Vermont. Rebecca brings more than 20 years of diverse people & culture leadership and supports talent across all aspects of the business, including retail stores, manufacturing, warehouse, contact center, and the company's adventure facilities. She’s also responsible for developing and executing the organization’s human capital strategy and oversees the company’s Human Resources division. Rebecca contributes to employee engagement and high performance with relevant, impactful, and growth-oriented acquisition, learning, and talent development solutions.

 

Rebecca’s experience prior to Orvis was chief people officer at European Wax Center (EWCZ). Previous positions include talent leadership roles with an international jewelry brand, a global travel retail organization under the LVMH umbrella in the US, and training, development, and communication roles in Australia and Europe. Rebecca is a graduate of Griffith University in Southeast Queensland, Australia where she grew up and currently calls Dallas, TX home.

Joe Carpenter with a smile holding a giant fish

Joe Carpenter

Vice President – Retail, UK & Men’s

Joe joined Orvis in November 1999 as director of Retail Merchandising and Inventory. He oversees Retail in the US.


Prior to his current role, Joe was vice president of Retail /Men’s and Men’s DMM and oversaw the Orvis UK Business. Before joining Orvis, he was the president and founder of Rift Valley, a men’s specialty sportswear brand based out of Atlanta, Georgia.


Joe is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

Frasier Blair smiles on a windy day outside

Frazier Blair

Vice President – Merchandise, Planning & Women’s

For the last 16 years, Frazier has combined her love of the outdoors with her passion for leadership in her work with Orvis. She joined Orvis in November 2005 as a women’s control buyer, having spent most of her early career managing and purchasing for specialty outdoor retailers. At Orvis, she has led numerous teams including Inventory Management, Allocation & Replenishment, Sourcing, Tech Design, Quality Department, Product Development & Design, and Merchandising. Frazier is currently vice president of Merchandise Planning. For the past 8 years, she has served on the executive committee with a special focus on helping to drive organizational change by prioritizing value-driven leadership, culture, people, and teams.


Frazier is on the board of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), a membership-driven trade organization for the outdoor industry. She also serves on the board of The Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS), an exceptional alpine and Nordic ski racing academy. She attended GMVS and went on to race in Division 1 alpine skiing at Williams College.


Frazier can be found cycling, skiing, running, and hiking whenever possible.

Steve Hemkens with his golden Labrador on his lap in a boat on a lake

Steve Hemkens

Vice President - Fish, Hunt, Dog & Wholesale

Steve joined Orvis in 2005, as a product developer, and was promoted to merchant, senior manager, and director in the Rod and Tackle department. As a product developer, Steve was instrumental in the inception and development of the Helios™ Fly Rod and Mirage® Fly Reels programs. Steve was promoted to VP of Rod and Tackle in 2014, overseeing fishing, hunting, travel, and adventures, and in 2020 became the business unit leader over the Orvis Dog category as well as our fly line manufacturer Scientific Anglers. He currently manages our UK fishing business.


Steve is a founding member and the executive sponsor of the 50/50 On the Water initiative, the campaign that aims to inspire women to discover the joys of fly-fishing and break down the barriers that keep them from enjoying the sport. Prior to working at Orvis, Steve worked at two industry-leading independent fly shops, Feather-Craft Fly Fishing in St. Louis, Missouri, and The River’s Edge in Bozeman, Montana.


Steve is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and a board member of Conservation Hawks which works to mobilize hunters and anglers as advocates to fight climate change.

Adam Sigrist squatting in a river holding a fish

Adam Sigrist

Vice President – Strategic and Financial Planning

Adam is currently vice president of Finance and Corporate Analytics at Orvis. He joined Orvis in 2014 as the director of Financial Planning & Analysis and made significant contributions to Strategic Planning, Merchandise Planning, and Marketing along the path to his current role. 


Adam joined Orvis from Kuerig® Green Mountain where he was the director of Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis. He began his career in commercial and investment banking, most recently with BB&T Bank (now Truist Bank), after graduating from Williams College. 


A lifelong fly fisherman, Orvis customer, and outdoor enthusiast, Adam lives in southern Vermont with his wife, three kids, and dog.