Gina Thorsen is CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products, home of Stormy Kromer, the iconic outdoor apparel brand. As part of the third generation of Jacquart family members to oversee the business, she is the first female CEO in the brand’s 120-year history.
Before rising to CEO in July of 2022, Gina served as the company’s president, overseeing the development and nurturing of Stormy Kromer’s branding. During her tenure, she successfully expanded a small, century-old line of caps for working men into a complete apparel and accessory collection for the whole family and their pets, increasing the product offerings five-fold.
Under her leadership, the Stormy Kromer brand has experienced continuous growth, with sales increases of more than 20% in each of the past two years. Gina refreshed the brand to appeal to women and younger customers while maintaining her core buyers. She hired the company’s first apparel designer, launched Stormy Kromer’s first pet products collection, and led successful collaborations with national brands such as Carhartt, Wolverine and Merrell. Gina also transformed the brand’s online presence through strategic digital marketing and a completely revitalized website. In 2025 she launched Stormy Kromer’s Collegiate Collection showcasing partnerships with 18 Midwestern universities, as well as a limited-edition cap with the Detroit Red Wings.
Before rejoining her family’s business in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Gina spent 11 years in Dallas, Texas with Big Thought, one of the nation’s premier youth development nonprofits. As Vice President of Research & Program Development, she managed the nationally recognized program, Dallas ArtsPartners, and led the development of new programs such as Thriving Minds. She helped secure significant national funding and shared Big Thought’s programs and strategies with communities across the nation through speaking engagements and consultancies.
Gina holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD and a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Management with a minor in music/voice from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She was recently honored by Northwood University as a 2023 Outstanding Business Leader. She serves as an officer on the board of directors of the Small Business Association of Michigan, is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Alumni Board, and recently completed serving a 3-year term on the Federal Reserve Ninth District Advisory Council.