Angel Martinez will join Deckers Outdoor Corporation as the company's Chief Executive Officer and President effective April 11, 2005. In this capacity, he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, will oversee the management team and will drive the future development of the company's brands. He succeeds Douglas Otto, who will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors and as an executive officer, focusing on strategic initiatives and acquisitions.
Doug Otto, Chairman of the Board of Deckers Outdoor Corporation, stated, “We are very excited to have someone of Angel's caliber join our senior management team. Angel is a visionary and a strategic thinker with numerous successes under his belt. He is a seasoned footwear executive with great brand building expertise which will be invaluable as we further evolve the lifestyle nature of our brands. The addition of Angel will free me up to allow me to focus more on strategic thinking, potential acquisitions and future growth opportunities. Personally, I look forward to working closely with Angel as we take Deckers to the next level.”
Angel Martinez commented, “I am extremely pleased to join Deckers. It's a great opportunity to contribute to the fulfillment of the vision that Doug and the Deckers management team has laid out for the future.”
Mr. Martinez has extensive experience in brand building, where he has been instrumental in the development and success of many brands throughout his 26 years in the footwear industry. During his 21 year tenure with Reebok International Ltd. from 1980 to 2001, Mr. Martinez held numerous senior level positions, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
He's credited with significantly diversifying the company's product offerings by introducing Reebok aerobic shoes, tennis shoes, walking shoes, and basketball shoes, as well as creating the Reebok “Classic” line of footwear and apparel and the Reebok “Step” program. As Vice President of Global Marketing for the Reebok brand he was responsible for the worldwide advertising, corporate communications and promotions for the brand.
As President and CEO of The Rockport Company, the largest subsidiary of Reebok International Ltd., he successfully rejuvenated the brand, diversifying the product assortment, expanding international distribution, and opening retail stores worldwide. Mr. Martinez also championed Reebok's Human Rights programs and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Human Rights Award, as well as serving as a director of Tupperware Corporation.
He was honored for his work in 1997 with the Man of Year award from Footwear News, a leading trade publication in the footwear industry. Most recently Mr. Martinez served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Keen Footwear, a footwear brand he co-founded and launched in 2003.
Martinez joined KEEN Footwear as president nearly two years ago shortly after its successful market launch. According to KEEN Footwear, For the past 12 months Martinez had reduced his participation in the company to less than half time, commuting from his home in Santa Barbara, CA. Martinez had stepped aside as president in August 2004, relinquishing his duties to then VP/General Manager Jim Van Dine. Van Dine was promoted to president in January of this year.
Outdoor retailing giant REI recently chose Keen out of 1500 suppliers as its 2004 Vendor Partner of the Year. Keen has become a top selling brand throughout the country and is available at Nordstrom, Eastern Mountain Sports, The Walking Company, Cabela's, Zappos.com and other leading chain and independent outdoors and comfort category retailers.
Van Dine, whose resume includes senior sales and management positions at Reebok, Deckers and Vans, has overseen both the rapid domestic growth of the company as well as its expansion into international markets that include Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. “Keen is extremely well positioned to continue building our brand with innovative products and a true partnership approach with customers, employees and suppliers”, says Van Dine.
The company has no immediate plans to fill the CEO position.
