Cardiff Snowcraft has announced that Tanner Bell and Mike Schneider are to be appointed to senior roles.
Tanner Bell Photo courtesy of Cardiff
Tanner Bell, founder and former CEO of Ragnar Relay Series, will be joining Cardiff as the company’s new CEO. Mike Schneider, who has over 20 years of experience in the snow industry, will be the company’s new Category Director. Both Bell and Schneider are thrilled to begin working with Cardiff Snowcraft and help bring the one-of-a-kind Cardiff experience into the world. With their history of bringing lasting brands and creating industry-leading products, they look forward to building Cardiff into a premier community of riders.
Bell will be joining Sam Bawden, Bjorn Leines, and the Green Collective as an owner in Cardiff Snowcraft. His appointment to the role of CEO comes after a long, prosperous run at Ragnar Relay Series. As a leader with extraordinary vision, Bell grew Ragnar from a single overnight relay race with 262 participants in 2004 to one of the premier endurance sports brands in the world, with over 40 road and trail races annually. Bell played a major role in raising growth capital from Dolphin Capital Group in 2006 and 2011, as well as White Road Investments and Partnership Capital Growth in 2013. In 2021, under Bell’s leadership, Ragnar was acquired by FitLab, Inc.
Among his many accolades, Utah Business Magazine named Bell to their “Forty under 40” list in 2010 at the age of 29. Bell currently serves as a board member for Utah’s Entrepreneur Association where he volunteers as a mentor for student entrepreneurs. Bell is also a Board Member and serves as Vice President of Running USA.
Of his recent appointment, Bell stated: “As a snowboarder and a skier, snowy peaks have been a part of life for as long as I can remember. Joining Cardiff allows me to combine my passion for snowcraft with my experience in building lasting brands that inspire adventurers worldwide. I’m proud to be part of the Cardiff community and am stoked to #StandInHighPlaces with them daily.”
Additionally, Mike Schnieder is slated to take up the role of Category Director for Cardiff.
“I am excited to join the extremely talented team at Cardiff Snowcraft! I have enjoyed watching their journey from the sidelines from day one and cannot wait to contribute to the growth and success of the business.” said Mike Schnieder.
With 20+ years of snow industry experience with a focus on brand strategy, Schnieder has worked with brands such as Black Diamond Equipment, Mountain Hardwear, Sundance Resort, Fjallraven, COROS Wearables, Stance Socks, and more. His own freeride ski brand company—Surface Skis—was launched in 2004 to worldwide praise. Marketing of his novel designs, such as the 3-Stage Rocker, 3D Convex Base, polyurethane sidewall material, have led to distribution in 21 countries worldwide.
Of note, Schnieder was first to market with the Green Life, featuring his ski-design built completely from discarded factory materials. The “zero waste” approach was picked up by the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Community) and received global recognition, including from the NY Times. He brings a collaboration mindset to the snow industry, and has formed essential relationships/capsule collections with brands such as Skullcandy, National Ski Patrol, and more.
With this new leadership begins an exciting new chapter for Cardiff Snowcraft. From ideation to execution, Cardiff Snowcraft is known for its board-by-board attention to detail and its unfailing ability to supply products that truly enhance the on-snow experience.
About Cardiff Snowcraft:
Cardiff Snowcraft is a spark of ingenuity come alive; cultivated in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah in 2015, Cardiff’s mission is to summit the highest of ambitions—to push the limits of what’s possible to craft the world’s highest quality, barrier-breaking sports equipment. Independent thinking, creative problem solving, and unparalleled performance are an inherent part of every one of Cardiff’s splitboards and snowboards. For more information, go to https://www.cardiffsnow.com/
