Ooni, Trailblazing Home Cookware Brand Appoints Amanda Tolhurst to Drive Global Operational Excellence
Edinburgh, Scotland – July 15, 2025 – Ooni, the creator and leader of the home pizza oven market, is thrilled to announce that Amanda Tolhurst is joining the company as Chief Operating Officer as of July 14th. This strategic hire reinforces Ooni’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence and sustainable growth.
After an extensive global search spanning more than a year, Amanda joins Ooni with more than two decades of cross-functional leadership experience. Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer at Specialized Bicycle Components. Prior to that, she held senior leadership roles at Nike Inc., including VP of Global Footwear Manufacturing, and served as Chief Operating Officer at Converse.
Earlier in her career, Amanda spent 13 years at Whirlpool Corporation, where she was recognized for her commitment to operational excellence and leadership, receiving both the Emerging Leader Award from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (2013) and the STEP Ahead Award from the National Association of Manufacturers (2017).
“Amanda stood out not only for her global operations experience but also for her alignment with our values and vision,” said Tapaninaho. “We’re excited to welcome her to Ooni as we continue to evolve our brand and product offerings.”
In her new role at Ooni, Amanda will work closely with Ooni founders Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland to help define and deliver the brand’s long-term product vision and business direction. She will report directly to Ooni’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Darina Garland.
“As I have learned more about the people, the culture and the overall mission at Ooni, my excitement to join the team has only continued to grow,” said Amanda Tolhurst. “When you bring passion together with a clear direction and solid guiding values, the sky’s the limit and I can’t wait to be a part of creating trailblazing products and experiences with the team.”
Originally from Canada, Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science in Logistics & Transportation from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business. She will relocate from Singapore to Edinburgh this July with her husband and two dogs.
About Ooni
Ooni revolutionized the outdoor cooking landscape in 2012 by launching the world’s first portable pizza oven, creating the category and turning a generation of pizza eaters into pizza makers across the globe. Founded by husband-and-wife team Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland, Ooni is known for bringing high-heat, flame-cooked pizza ovens to homes all over the world.
Ooni’s ovens give users the the joy of cooking authentic, stone-baked pizza in just 60 seconds, ready to start cooking in 25 minutes or less and heating up to 950 ˚F — twice the temperature of a home oven and the intense heat you need for incredible Neapolitan-style pizza. Beyond pizza, Ooni’s ovens are capable of searing steaks to perfection, baking bread, roasting vegetables and more.
In addition to award-winning ovens, Ooni has entered a new product category with the Halo Pro Spiral Mixer, designed to bring professional dough mixing into the home kitchen. Ooni also offers a full range of must-have accessories.
There is only one planet to make pizza on, and Ooni believes they have a responsibility to protect and restore it. Ooni’s annual Impact Report provides a detailed summary of their key focus areas, the progress they’ve made, and lays out what’s to come.
In 2022 Ooni became a Certified B Corp™. After undertaking a rigorous assessment and verification process, Ooni has joined a community of like-minded companies and leaders using business as a force for good.
To explore the full Ooni product range, visit ooni.com.
Media Contact
Meg Herrington, Backbone Media