On the Move: Elizabeth Maloy at Buffalo Communications, Andy Koehler at Puma, Mike Abbott at Keen, and more…
Find out who’s on the move in the outdoor industry at companies like Keen, Verde PR & Consulting, Buffalo Communications and Puma, among others.
- Buffalo Communications in Vienna, Va., a public relations, branding, marketing-communications and creative services firm, recently named Elizabeth Maloy public relations manager. Maloy will help Buffalo promote the outdoor and running collections from Danish shoemaker ECCO. A former professional track and field athlete, Maloy was a four-time Division I All-American and four-year captain at Georgetown University. She placed seventh at the 2012 Olympic Trials (5,000 meters) and top-10 at five USA Track & Field Championships. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University.
- Puma has continued its management revamp with the appointment of Andy Koehler, former head of global sourcing at Adidas, as its new chief operating officer.
- Verde PR & Consulting has hired action sports industry veteran Meghan Grabow as well as Alex Hunt, who is a former communications specialist and heli-skiing manager at Silverton Mountain Ski Area in Silverton, Colo. Verde’s digital services and content solutions divisions welcomed Amanda Markert, former online editor at SKI and Skiing Magazines.
- KEEN Inc. recently announced that Mike Abbott would become the company’s new president beginning July 8. Abbot was formerly COO of Specialized Bicycles and COO and CFO of Burton Snowboards. Check out the SNEWS story on Abbott’s appointment.
- HOKA One One, a division of Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NASDAQGS: DECK), recently announced the hire of two new sales agencies to support the brand’s growth in the Northwest and Southwest United States. True North, managed by Jenny Fredericks and Mike Stevens, will cover Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The Hartford Sales Group, managed by Larry Hartford, will manage California, Arizona, and Nevada with his team of sales representatives from a central base in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
- Karhu and Craft North America recently named Meagan Nedlo as its new run sales manager. Nedlo previously served as National Field Marketing Manager. Nedlo got her start in the industry as a technical representative for Mizuno, and then Brooks. A three-time NCAA All-American, she placed within the top 50 at the 2012 US Olympic Marathon Trials. In her new position, Nedlo will be responsible for creating and executing the North American run sales strategy, supporting product sell-in and sell-through and driving marketing initiatives.
- Craft North America also announced Nora Lohrenz has been appointed the new bike sales manager for Craft North America. Lohrenz brings more than 13 years of industry experience to this position, having worked several different roles from sales representative to manager and as a buyer for companies like Rocky Mountain Bicycles and the former Supergo Bike Shops. Most recently, she started her own rep group, Momentum Sales, of which she is the owner and lead sales representative.
- Patagonia Inc., the outdoor apparel company, announced the promotion of Doug Freeman as the company’s new chief operating officer. As chief operating officer, Freeman will provide strategic vision, leadership and operational expertise in directing Patagonia's business strategies both domestically and abroad. He will act as a key partner to Patagonia's sales, marketing and product teams. Freeman will report to Casey Sheahan, Patagonia's chief executive officer.
- Pale Morning Media recently announced the addition of account manager Patrick Brown. Most recently, Brown served as the communications manager at Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vt. His work included media relations, social media management, crisis communications, content creation, digital communications and partnership development. Brown’s previous experience includes ski industry sales and marketing roles in Alaska, Vermont, Utah and Chile, as well as multiple seasons on the retail floor at Christy Sports in Snowbird, Utah.
- NATHAN, which specializes in hydration, visibility and performance gear, named Raleigh, N.C.-based French/West/Vaughan (FWV) as its public relations agency of record. FWV is headed up by Chairman and CEO Rick French.
- Opedix, maker of Kinetic Health gear for performance, recovery and rehabilitation, has hired Backbone Media to manage its public relations and social media strategy. Opedix is headed up by Kim Gustafson and Backbone Media by Greg Williams, Nate Simmons and Penn Newhard.
- Active Interest Media announced promotions within its Mountain Group. Bill Garrels and Andy Hawk both have new roles within the AIM family, as they join the Mountain Group’s Warren Miller Entertainment and NASTAR to lead partnership sales while working closely with the company's magazines. Garrels, formerly the publisher of AIM’s American Cowboy, is the new director of corporate partnerships for WME and NASTAR. The transition represents a return to a category and lifestyle he knows and loves: Garrels served as the Los Angeles-based Western Manager for SKI and Skiing from 2000 to 2004, and worked on Warren Miller partnerships during the latter part of his tenure. Hawk is the new director of industry partnerships for WME and NASTAR. He most recently served as AIM’s wintersports director, overseeing the SIA Snow Show Daily, and will continue in that capacity. Hawk began his career in sales and marketing with SKI and Skiing in 2001 and also worked on Warren Miller business. He moved on to roles as publisher of Ski Racing magazine and marketing director for the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors before joining AIM full-time in the spring.
