Fender has appointed Edward “Bud” Cole as its new CEO, with outgoing CEO Andy Mooney retiring after a decade within the prime job.

Cole is about to function CEO-Designate from 19 January, and can formally assume the position of CEO when Mooney steps down on 16 February 2026.

A bilingual English/Japanese speaker, Edward “Bud” Cole has served as President of Fender Asia Pacific (APAC) for over 10 years, and overseen a few of the firm’s most important progress initiatives, main the growth of the Fender enterprise into 14 nations throughout the APAC area.

Throughout his tenure at FMIC (Fender Musical Devices Company), Cole – who has beforehand labored in industrial growth, model growth and technique at luxurious manufacturers together with Ralph Lauren and Pernod Ricard – was the brains behind the opening of Fender’s APAC headquarters and flagship retailer in Tokyo, Japan.

With the flagship retailer – nonetheless, on the time of writing, Fender’s solely devoted retail area on the earth – Cole sought to redefine the model’s method to “brick-and-mortar retail presence and shopper immersion”.

Outgoing CEO Andy Mooney hinted when the shop opened in 2023 that it may herald the opening of extra Fender brick-and-mortar shops, saying, “The Tokyo retailer maybe will probably be used as a mannequin to create franchise retail all through Southeast Asia.”

And now that the Tokyo retailer’s mastermind Edward “Bud” Cole is answerable for the corporate’s international operations, may we even see bodily Fender shops opening up outdoors of the Asia Pacific area? Solely time will inform…

Elsewhere throughout Cole’s time as President of Fender Asia Pacific, he has helped set up full regional industrial and operational capabilities, constructed “sturdy” direct-to-dealer operations in Australia, overseen the growth of Fender into mainland China and Korea, and helped develop the model’s direct-to-consumer functionality via e-commerce.

Cole has additionally performed a pivotal position in quite a few Made-in-Japan launches, which have helped strengthen Fender’s cultural affect and credibility all through the Asia Pacific area.

“Bud has been one of the impactful leaders inside our organisation,” says Mark Fukunaga, Govt Chairman of the FMIC Board.

“He has a deep understanding of the Fender model, our international gamers, and the industrial and operational basis required to propel us into the long run. His observe document of constructing groups, increasing markets, and elevating Fender’s presence around the globe makes him uniquely certified to steer the following chapter of progress.

“On behalf of the Board, I additionally need to thank Andy Mooney for his management over the previous decade and for the numerous contributions he has made to the corporate.”

“Main Fender has been a spotlight of my profession,” says outgoing CEO Andy Mooney. “I’m deeply grateful for the creativity and dedication of the Fender groups around the globe and pleased with what we’ve achieved. I’m excited to go the baton on to Bud and assured that beneath his management, Fender will proceed to encourage gamers for generations to return.”

Other than being a deeply achieved businessman with many years of expertise, Edward “Bud” Cole can be a lifelong musician, having purchased his first electrical guitar – a Made-in-Japan 1969 Thinline Telecaster reissue – as an adolescent, and nonetheless proudly owning it in the present day.

As Cole tells Guitar World in a brand new interview, he truly tried – and failed – to get a job as a PR assistant at Fender straight out of school. “My very first actual job interview out of school was with Fender as a PR assistant,” he says. “I didn’t get the job!” He says that now he’s about to step into the position of CEO of the entire firm, “the whole lot actually has come full circle for me”.

“To steer Fender is the honour of a lifetime,” he says. “This model has been part of my life since childhood, and I’m dedicated to making sure Fender continues to empower gamers in every single place, from novices selecting up their first guitar to the artists shaping the sound of in the present day and tomorrow. Along with our international groups, companions, and constant group of gamers, we are going to write the following period of Fender’s historical past.”

Be taught extra at Fender.