The latest news and analysis about management, board and supervisory board changes in the outdoor industry.
Patrik Frisk to exit Under Armour
Nearing the completion of a multi-year, $525 to $550 million restructuring, and 10 days after disclosing that short-term challenges will impact its sales, profitability, and margins for much of 2022, Under Armour on May 18 appointed Colin Browne as its interim president and CEO, effective June 1. On that date, ...
Pål Wibe steps down as chief executive of XXL
The board of Nordic sports retailer XXL ASA and Pål Wibe agreed on May 13 that the latter will step down as CEO on Sept. 1 of this year. The Norwegian Sports Industry Association wrote in a statement that the reason was disagreement over XXL’s priorities and future path. Wibe ...
Lenzing’s Q1 revenues grow double-digit despite rising costs
Lenzing, the Austrian manufacturer of wood-based specialty fibers, posted revenues of €615 million in the first quarter of 2022, representing a 25.7 percent increase year-on-year, primarily driven by continued high demand for wood-based biodegradable specialty fibers and higher fiber prices. Specialty fibers currently account for 73.3 percent of its fiber ...
Management team changes at Exped
With Hubi Rutishauser, international sales manager and board member, leaving the Zurich-based company Exped after 28 years, Eicke Thiele succeeds him on the company’s three-member executive board and was appointed director of marketing and sales, effective April 1. Thiele has already been with the company for the past six years ...
Swiss Ski Pool CEO to lead Lowa Switzerland
The Bernese Oberland trading company Lowa Schuhe AG Schweiz will see a new boss in mid-2023: After more than 22 years at the helm, CEO René Urfer will retire and hand over the management to Christian Zingg in mid-2023 after a joint transition period.
Restructuring of SRAM’s European OE sales team
After seven successful years as director of OE sales Europe at bicycle component manufacturer SRAM Group (brands Avid, Hammerhead, Quarq, Rockshox, SRAM, Time Sport, Truvativ, Zipp), Uwe Reichelt is entering his well-deserved retirement. The German company has already used the last few months to reorganize and expand the European OE ...
Frasers Group expands its leadership team with new managing director for cycling
U.K.-based Frasers Group has announced the appointment of Russell Merry as managing director for cycling. The group, which claims to be aiming for market leadership in the U.K. cycling sector, currently operates more than 70 stores across the country and a website with Evans Cycles, founded in 1921. This, along ...
New Global GM for Gregory in the U.S., new structure for Europe
Gregory Mountain Products, one of the leading backpack manufacturers for more than four decades and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, just revealed the appointment of John Sears to the company’s new global general manager, as of January. Sears has been with the company for nearly 20 years. In a ...
Mountain Hardwear expands its leadership team
Mountain Hardwear, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company, has announced three internal promotions, including a new vice president of product line management and merchandising, and two new hires. In 2021, Mountain Hardwear experienced tremendous growth over the past year, including a 33 percent increase in net sales and a ...
Woom Bikes with new management
Mathias Ihlenfeld has taken over the overall management of Austrian children’s bicycle manufacturer Woom as CEO at the turn of the year. Born in Germany, Ihlenfeld founded Woom USA in 2014. With an uncompromising focus on DTC retail and customer service, he succeeded in making Woom one of the fastest ...