Jeff Blade joined the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in January 2025 as Executive Director, reporting to the Secretary of Commerce. Jeff has extensive business experience through decades in private equity and publicly traded organizations. Early in his career he held positions at PWC, Kraft Foods, Cott Beverages and Steak ‘n Shake. As the CFO at Vera Bradley Designs, he successfully led the IPO before leading Matilda Jane Clothing as the CEO – both headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Most recently he was President of Indianapolis-based Herff Jones and CEO of Dennis Uniform. Jeff is a CPA, holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. from the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. Jeff currently serves as the chair of the Board of Trustees at Butler University.