CHRISTIAN LEARD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Christian Leard joined Perennials and Sutherland as Chief Executive Officer in February 2023. Christian came to us from Hunter Douglas, the world leader in window coverings, where he served as the President of Levolor. Immediately prior, Christian worked at Char-Broil where he served as the Vice President of Sales and worked extensively with suppliers and manufacturers in SE Asia on global sourcing initiatives. Prior to his time at Char-Broil, Christian spent 15 years at Newell Brands in increasingly responsible leadership roles in Marketing, Sales and General Management – supporting nearly every brand within the Newell Brands portfolio during his tenure. Early in his career, he worked at Stanley Black & Decker as well as Accenture Strategy. He also proudly served four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy as a deep sea diver. Christian is active philanthropically in support of Autism Speaks, where he previously served as the corporate relations chair on the Board of the Georgia Chapter of Autism Speaks.
Christian has a BBA in Marketing from The University of Georgia and received his MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
ANN SUTHERLAND – FOUNDER
When David Sutherland began to reimagine luxury outdoor furnishings, he went in search of high-style textiles and found a creative ally in his wife. Ann had never planned to leave her successful interior design business to head a textile manufacturing firm. But her design sense, combined with her drive to ensure that the fabrics would maintain their beauty under all conditions, led to the founding of Perennials Fabrics in 1997.
“Initially, my fabric knowledge extended only to textiles for the interiors,” Ann said. “I quickly realized that performance textiles were a completely new arena and my learning curve was sharp and intense.”
Acting as CEO from 2018 to 2023, Ann now enjoys focusing her attention to Perennials product development, merchandising, and marketing as Chief Creative Director.
DAVID SUTHERLAND – FOUNDER
David Sutherland began his career in the furniture business in 1977 with a showroom in Houston, followed by a David Sutherland Showroom in Dallas in 1978. In 1991, he conceived of outdoor “rooms” as a continuum of a designer’s contract with their clients to bring about a more complete indoor/outdoor aesthetic to their projects. To create comfort, style and quality for these “new environs,” Sutherland turned to John Hutton, the design genius behind Randolph & Hein and Donghia Furniture, and they created Sutherland Furniture in 1994.The results of their collaboration revolutionized the outdoor furniture industry
After establishing Sutherland Furniture, David saw a gap in the outdoor textiles industry, wanting an elevated look and feel to complement his high-end furniture. David turned to his wife Ann, and the duo founded Perennials Fabrics in 1997. Since then David and Ann have been constantly innovating and experimenting with the latest technology in performance materials and fabrics, centering around their patented 100% Solution Dyed Acrylic Fibers. Since retiring his CEO role in 2018, David continues to guide Perennials and Sutherland’s evolution while maintaining his position as the brand’s best ambassador.
LAURA SNYDER – CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Laura Snyder has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company since October, 2017. Laura is responsible for finance, accounting, strategic planning and information technology. Previously Laura was employed with Igloo Products Corp. as SVP of Finance and CFO and held several finance roles with Jarden Brands. Laura began her career with Price Waterhouse Coopers after receiving her BS in Accounting from Ball State University.
KERRI MCCULLOCH – CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Kerri McCulloch serves as Chief Marketing Officer since June 2018. She is responsible for developing the strategic initiatives to grow the brands developed under the Perennials and Sutherland names. Her team collaborates with Sales and Operations to ensure innovative approaches to acquiring and retaining clients that they serve. Kerri has served as CMO in the healthcare industry most recently, but comes with a pedigree in the luxury space from Neiman Marcus and Omni Hotels and Resorts. The first 10 years of her career were spent consulting businesses on the agency side after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Advertising.
KELLY GATES, VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND WHOLESALE SALES
Kelly Gates is the Vice President of Business Development and Wholesale Sales at Perennials and Sutherland, LLC. She joined the company in May 2016, and is responsible for identifying and executing on opportunities to expand the company’s retail footprint. She provides the company with definitive long-term organizational strategic goals, and insight on how to build key customer relationships, business opportunities, negotiating while maintaining extensive knowledge of current market conditions.
Kelly has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin.