Deckers Outdoor Corporation announced the appointment of Bob Orlando to President of the Teva Division and Connie Rishwain to President of the Ugg and Simple Divisions.
Bob Orlando joined Deckers in May 2000 as Vice President, Brand Manager – Teva and has been responsible for the redesign of the Teva sport sandal offering and the recent expansion of Teva into hikers, trailrunners and other closed toe rugged outdoor footwear. Orlando came to Deckers from Adidas Salomon North America, where he was Vice President of Footwear and Apparel from 1999 to 2000 and Business Unit Manager from 1996 to 1999. Previously, he was President of Newport Outfitters from 1994 to 1996.
Connie Rishwain has been Vice President, Brand Manager – Simple since 2001 and Vice President, Brand Manager – Ugg since 1999. She has been instrumental in the geographical expansion and the continuing growth of Ugg, as well as the recent repositioning of the Simple brand. Previously, Rishwain held a variety of positions since joining the Company in 1995, including Vice President of Domestic Sales for Teva, Simple and Ugg and Vice President of Sales – Western Division for Teva, Simple and Ugg. Before joining Deckers, Rishwain held the position of Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing for Impo International Shoe Company and prior to that worked for Nine West in several capacities.
Douglas Otto, Chairman & CEO commented, “Both Bob and Connie have played a major role in the current direction of this company and I am very pleased to announce their well deserved promotions. As Vice President, Brand Manager of Teva since 2000, Bob has been instrumental in extending the brand beyond its traditional sport sandal category and furthering its lifestyle status in the market. With the recent acquisition of Teva now complete, I am thrilled to have Bob at the helm as we begin an exciting new chapter in our flagship brand.
“Connie has held numerous positions within the company, most recently as Vice President, Brand Manager of both Ugg and Simple. At Ugg she has been a driving force behind the brand’s double-digit growth and high profile exposure, and was responsible for Ugg’s geographical expansion beyond its traditional California roots. Additionally, Connie has led the repositioning of Simple as a casual lifestyle brand targeted at the collegiate demographic and I am excited to see her follow on these successes as we begin 2003.”
Otto concluded, “I believe we now have the right people in place to take this company to the next level. I look forward to working more closely with Bob and Connie and capitalizing on the many opportunities that lie ahead.”
