Chris Licata

CEO, The Tecnica Group

Chris Licata is the CEO of The Tecnica Group, the West Lebanon, NH-based US subsidiary distributing the winter sports and outdoor brands Nordica, Tecnica, Blizzard, and Rollerblade. Prior to joining The Tecnica Group, Chris was the President & CEO of Blake’s All Natural Foods, a Concord, NH-based Organic and Natural food manufacturer. Chris became CEO of Blake’s in 2006 and grew the business from a small, regional New England brand to a national brand selling to more than 10,000 retailers in 50 states. Under Chris’s leadership, Blake’s earned consistent recognition as the fastest-growing brand in the Natural Foods category. The growth and success of Blake’s ultimately led to the acquisition of Blake’s by ConAgra Foods, one of the largest food companies in the world. In 2014, Chris was named the NH Small Business Person of the Year by The United States Small Business Administration.

Prior to joining Blake’s, Chris spent his previous 20 years in the ski, outdoor, and action sports industry, holding several leadership positions such as President of Tecnica/Blizzard, President of Dynastar/Lange/Look, and Vice President of Salomon North America. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Snowsports Industries of America, the ski and snowboard industry’s governing body.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from Western New England University, where he was a four-year member of the varsity lacrosse team.  In his free time Chris is an avid and mildly obsessive skier, snowboarder, and year-round surfer.  He is a Leadership Coach with Velocity Performance and Victory Academy, organizations focused on working with college athletes and athletic directors to build the next generation of leaders. He is also an active board member to several other companies and enjoys working with other entrepreneurs as they scale their businesses. Chris is also involved in the lacrosse community, serving as a founding member, director and coach of the Hopkinton Lacrosse Club. He is also a coach with the New Hampshire Tomahawks, an elite showcase and development lacrosse program.

Chris lives in Hopkinton, NH with his wife Amy and his daughters Blake and Lucy.