President and CEO
Fleet Farm | Appleton
John Schaefer has led Appleton-based retailer Fleet Farm since 2019. Fleet Farm has more than 6,600 employees and operates 49 locations across Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Under Schaefer’s leadership, the company moved its Appleton headquarters to a 192,000-square-foot facility formerly owned by SECURA Insurance in 2020.
Previously, Schaefer was CEO of Sportsman’s Warehouse, where he oversaw its growth from 25 to 90 locations in nine years. He was also previously CEO of Team Express, an internet, catalog and retail marketer of sporting goods, and president and CEO of Cornerstone Brands Inc., a family of catalog companies. Earlier, Schaefer was chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Eastbay Inc., a marketer of footwear, apparel, equipment and licensed and private-label products.
An active alumnus of UW-Madison, Schaefer serves on the board of Badgers United, an organization that promotes the university’s statewide economic impact. He is also a former alumni representative on the university’s athletic board and was chair of the oversight body’s finance committee.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison
