Boardriders Inc., formerly Quiksilver Inc., appointed Nate Smith, formerly at Oakley, to the position of president of the Americas region. Current global president and Americas leader Greg Healy will return to Australia to lead the APAC region.
Pierre Agnes, chief executive officer of Boardriders, said, “We continue to make significant progress in our turnaround program, and the company is in a fundamentally different place today than it was when Greg moved to the U.S. two years ago. Greg made a huge sacrifice to uproot his family from Australia and move during a time of turmoil for the company. His leadership was critical to stabilizing the business and returning it to growth. I cannot thank my trusted partner enough for his efforts over this period.”
“I’d like to thank the entire Americas team for their hard work and support. The future is exciting and I’m looking forward to returning to the APAC region and further building on our success,” said Healy.
Dave Tanner, managing director at Oaktree Capital Management L.P and chief turnaround officer for the company, said, “This is a long-planned and natural step for Greg to return home with his family, and continue his leadership with deeper focus across the APAC region as we enter the next phase of our evolution. On behalf of the Board, I thank Greg for his selfless dedication and perseverance. We are also very excited and honored to have Nate joining us, continuing our trend of enhancing the Boardriders team with additional world-class talent.”
Nate Smith attended the U.S. Naval Academy, served as a Navy Seal for many years and later received his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Smith was most recently VP, North America, wholesale sport and optical at Oakley. His other positions include president of IPATH Footwear and VP, International, Patagonia.
Agnes said, “Nate is a seasoned industry executive who will lead the company’s business in the Americas toward accelerated growth. His distinctive leadership skills, strong business acumen and deep experience at leading apparel and footwear companies is the right combination to drive Boardriders’ transformation into its next phase.”
“As I learned the full Boardriders story over the recent months, I have been incredibly impressed with all that the Company has been able to achieve over the last two years. I am energized to have the chance to accelerate the momentum the team has built in the Americas, and to work with our teams across the globe to continue to enhance the strength of the Boardriders platform,” said Smith.
Boardriders’ brands include Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes.
Photo courtesy Roxy
