Black Diamond, Equipment, Ltd., a subsidiary of Clarus Corp., appointed Neil Fiske as brand president. Fiske is responsible for “accelerating growth and increasing profitability by capitalizing on attractive expansion opportunities across various categories, channels and regions.”
Fiske comes to Black Diamond from Marquee Brands. As CEO for almost 20 years, he has extensive experience in the outdoor, active and apparel categories, having led a transformational change at Marquee Brands, including Dakine, Body Glove, Eddie Bauer, Billabong International, the Gap, and L Brands.
Clarus Executive Chairman Warren Kanders commented, “We are thrilled to have someone of Neil’s experience and talent leading Black Diamond, a brand we believe has tremendous growth potential globally. Neil fully appreciates the brand’s fifty-year heritage, its culture and core values, but also the need to modernize and look forward. With this appointment, we look forward to building Black Diamond to its fullest potential.”
After leading the turnaround of the Bath and Body Works division of L Brands, Fiske became Eddie Bauer’s CEO, bringing the heritage brand back to its outdoor roots. Notably, he conceived and launched the expedition-grade Ascent line that revitalized Eddie Bauer’s position as an “authentic outdoor outfitter.”
Fiske then took over as CEO of Billabong International as part of a rescue and recapitalization turnaround program. Under his leadership, Billabong revamped its product line, marketing, digital channels and operations under a “global brands on global platforms” strategy, which resulted in “significant share gain for the company’s biggest brands.”
Fiske continued his leadership in the active/outdoor sector as Marquee Brands’ CEO, which owns Dakine and Body Glove.
Fiske commented, “When your life in outdoor adventures depends quite literally on the gear you choose, you form a lasting bond with those types of brands. That’s certainly been my experience as a user of Black Diamond. I’ve long admired their uncompromising standard to be the best at what they do. It comes from the brand’s long-standing ethos Founder Peter Metcalf established from the beginning – ‘to be one with the sports we serve and absolutely indistinguishable from them.’ We will honor and build on that legacy as we shape it for the future. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the team that will take this revered brand to new heights — for our customers, retail partners, employees, suppliers, and investors; it’s going to be a great climb.”
