Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. named more members to its new apparel design and development team.
“We continue to invest in the people and processes needed to drive our business forward and achieve our key strategic objectives” states Peter Metcalf, President and CEO of Black Diamond, Inc.
Black Diamond welcomes industry veteran Cheryl Knopp as the design lead for the company’s apparel initiative. Knopp’s experience includes working as a freelance designer for Mountain Hardwear and Simms Fishing Products, consulting for W.L Gore & Associates, and serving as the vice president of product development for Arc’teryx Equipment Inc. Knopp will direct a team of designers including Damien Kelly, Jenny Grad and Teri Davis. The new Black Diamond apparel team possesses diverse and deep experience inside numerous industry leading brands.
“Apparel is a major global initiative for Black Diamond, with the launch slated for Fall 2013,” explains Tim Bantle, director of apparel. “We are assembling a team of talented individuals. They represent the key components of design, sourcing and materials innovation that will drive our apparel business forward in the years ahead.”
Ajay Badiga joins Black Diamond as director of sourcing and development for Apparel. Badiga brings 20 years of experience in the apparel business, the last 15 years with The Sports Authority, serving as the director of sourcing and development managing outerwear, sportswear and athletic apparel for the last 10 years.
Also joining the team as vice president of engineering support services is Jeff Nash, former director of material development at The North Face (TNF). As the lead subject matter expert for materials innovation, supply chain and sustainability at TNF, Nash served as vice chair for the American Society for Testing and Materials Subcommittee on Camping Softgoods and contributed regularly to the Outdoor Industry Association Eco Working Group. Nash was instrumental in the implementation and adoption of bluesign certification in the TNF supply chain.
“Ajay and Jeff bring deep expertise in sourcing, material development and engineering that will be fantastic additions to our platform services group. Their energies will be primarily directed towards the establishment of a world-class product development and materials development function in support of our apparel initiative, and augment what is already an industry-leading hardware design, development and manufacturing function which has been, and will continue to be in the future, the cornerstone of our success “ states Mark Ritchie, vice president of operations, Black Diamond, Inc.
