SharkNinja Hires Howard Nuk as Chief Advanced Development & Design Officer

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 22, 2025--

SharkNinja, Inc (NYSE: SN), a global product design and technology company, has appointed Howard Nuk as Chief Advanced Development & Design Officer (CADDO). Nuk is a product design and innovation executive with over 25 years of experience creating noteworthy products and shaping new categories for iconic brands such as Beats by Dre, Samsung, and Square.

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In this newly created role, Nuk will lead front-end concept development and early-stage product architecture. His focus is turning bold, disruptive ideas into the next generation of consumer-loved SharkNinja products. He will report directly to Ross Richardson, Chief Design Officer.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Howard to the SharkNinja team,” said Richardson. “His rare blend of product design vision, entrepreneurial mindset, and experience pioneering new products across industries makes him uniquely equipped to push the boundaries of innovation and elevate SharkNinja to new heights.”

As CADDO, Nuk will lead a global team of product developers to deliver consumer-focused concept designs and guide them through each phase of early development, ultimately preparing breakthrough ideas for seamless transition into SharkNinja’s New Product Development pipeline for mass production.

“I’m thrilled to join SharkNinja and lead the Advanced Development team because here, bold design meets fearless problem-solving,” said Nuk. “This is where I can push the limits of creativity alongside a world-class, cross-disciplinary team. Together, we’ll create breakthrough products that not only improve everyday lives but redefine entire categories.”

Nuk’s more than 25-year career includes leading product design for iconic consumer tech, automotive, and luxury lifestyle brands. Most recently, he served as Chief Designer & Vice President of Design at Luminar, where he led the development of next-generation LiDAR systems for safety and autonomy, including a collaboration with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 to design the world’s safest Safety Car.

Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Design & Innovation at Restoration Hardware, where he elevated the brand’s luxury furniture collections and digital experience. Prior to that, Nuk co-founded Palm, reimagining the iconic Palm brand with a minimalist mobile experience. In partnership with NBA champion Stephen Curry and Verizon, Nuk and his team launched the world’s first companion mini-smartphone in 2018.

Earlier in his career, Nuk was Vice President of Design at Samsung, where he helped pioneer new product categories, including over a dozen wearables like Galaxy Buds and Gear S2. He also served as VP of Industrial Design at Ammunition, developing Beats by Dre headphones and collaborating with Jack Dorsey on the Square product ecosystem. Nuk also spent more than a decade as a Creative Director at frog design, leading projects for clients such as Disney, Intel, and Starbucks.

Nuk has judged global design awards and spoken at leading design and tech forums. He’s been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People and holds 100+ patents along with dozens of design awards including iF, Red Dot, and IDSA.

About SharkNinja

SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people’s lives in homes around the world. Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja, the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 3,600 associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world. For more information, please visit sharkninja.com.

SharkNinja Hires Howard Nuk as Chief Advanced Development & Design Officer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department said Wednesday that it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed an American-funded warehouse belonging to the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians.

“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the department said in a statement.

“The State Department has paused all ongoing U.S. assistance programs which benefit the Somali Federal Government,” it said. “Any resumption of assistance will be dependent upon the Somali Federal Government, taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps.”

The suspension comes as the Trump administration has ratcheted up criticism of Somali refugees and migrants in the United States, including over well-publicized fraud allegations involving child care centers in Minnesota. It has slapped significant restrictions on Somalis wanting to come to the U.S. and made it difficult for those already in the United States to stay.

It was not immediately clear how much assistance would be affected by the suspension because the Trump administration has slashed foreign aid expenditures, dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and not released new country-by-country data.

The U.S. had provided $770 million in assistance for projects in Somalia during the last year of Democratic President Joe Biden's administration, but only a fraction of that went directly to the government.

The Trump administration made the move after authorities at the Mogadishu Port demolished the WFP warehouse at the direction of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud “with no prior notification or coordination with international donor countries, including the United States,” according to a U.S. official familiar with the alleged incident.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private reporting from American diplomats in the region.

Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is one of the world's poorest nations and has been beset by chronic strife and insecurity exacerbated by multiple natural disasters, including severe droughts, for decades.

FILE - A Somalia National Army (SNA) soldier with ammunition belts strapped around him stands on the frontline in Sabiid Canole, Somalia, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jackson Njehia, file)

FILE - In this May 18, 2019 file photo, newly-arrived women who fled drought line up to receive food distributed by local volunteers at a camp for displaced persons in the Daynile neighborhood on the outskirts of the Somalian capital Mogadishu. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, file)

FILE - A girl eats at a school in Dollow, Somalia, Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, file)

FILE - Workers distribute food aid from the World Food Program at a refugee camp in Dolo, Somalia on July 18. 2012. (AP Photo/Jason Straziuso, file)