Craft Sportswear North America hired Katie Gould Swenson as its sales & marketing manager for Craft base layers & nordic skiing. As part of this newly created position, Swenson will be responsible for creating an in-store merchandising solution, improving educational tools for retailer sales staff, launching a new Nordic Custom program, and refining a collection that is more geared toward a North American market.
Swenson joins Craft with more than a dozen years of professional experience in the outdoor industry, including leadership positions with Salomon and Swix. Most recently, she worked as the national sales manager at Tecnica Outdoor. As a student, Gould skied competitively for Bates College and then went on to coach for programs at the Ford Sayer Ski Clinic, the National Sports Foundation, and Dartmouth College. She spent four years as the U.S. Nordic Team Manager.
“Craft is the perfect fit for me. It targets my three favorite sports: Nordic skiing, running, and cycling,” said Swenson. “I was already a user and a believer in the products, so that made it a no-brainer. To be involved in selling products that I can honestly back and that I’m passionate about that’s a solid combination.”
Huub Valkenburg, CEO of CRAFT Sportswear North America, said Swenson will advance the company’s focus on base layer integration into other categories. “Katie comes to us with a wealth of experience. She has fresh ideas and intimate knowledge of the marketplace,” Valkenburg stated. “This function will be pivotal in helping us drive growth across our core categories and solidify our base layers franchise.”
