Bergans of Norway has sealed an agreement with the GAEA Group in Canada to distribute the Norwegian brand in North America. The deal comes after Bergans decided last year to shut down its sales organizations in the U.K., France, the U.S. and Canada, to focus its product and marketing investments on the Nordics, the German-speaking countries and the Benelux countries. As reported at the time, the changes came with adjustments in the Norwegian brand's broader sales and marketing strategy, including investments in own retailing and sustainability. For this purpose, the brand has now created an entity dedicated to sustainability, quality, corporate and social responsibility, and new sustainable business opportunities. This unit is to be driven by Sølvi Nilsen, as director of sustainability and new business. Nilsen has been described as the driving force behind the Norwegian brand's expansion over the last three decades. Due to the change in Nilsen's function, Sven Mostögl has been appointed as director of product and design. He was previously sales director for the Benelux and the German-speaking countries, where he adjusted the sales approach and organization. Mostögl formerly worked in product and design at Craft, The North Face and Black Diamond. He will move from Germany to Norway. Both he and Nilsen are part of the management team, reporting to Leif Holst-Liæker, who became chief executive of Bergans in December 2015.

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