Confluence Watersports has promoted Patrick FitzGerald to VP of sales. FitzGerald has 29 years of outdoor industry experience, having worked in retail, general management and sales. He was most recently the Director of International Sales at Confluence, a position he held for 12 of the 13 years he has been with the company. As VP of Sales, FitzGerald will be responsible for domestic and international sales activities, with all Confluence sales representatives reportin! g to him. FitzGerald will report to Kelley Woolsey, EVP of Marketing and Sales.
“Patrick has a done fantastic job with our international business and with his wealth of retail and general management experience, he brings a rare understanding of the dealer, sales rep, and company management viewpoints,” said Woolsey. “With Patrick in this new position, we will better serve all our dealers and I will be able to concentrate more on our key accounts and marketing.”
“Ive been working with Kelley for over eight years, and Im excited to work more closely with him, our sales representatives, and our dealers to continue to build our domestic business,” said FitzGerald. “With top down support, I know that we will be successful and that in a short time Confluence will have further solidified its position as the market leader.”
FitzGerald joined Confluence, at the time Wilderness Systems, as a general manager in 1993, after 16 years of outdoor retail experience with Paddling Unlimited and Ski & Tennis Station, both located in the greater Winston Salem, NC area. As General Manager, FitzGerald was involved with numerous activities within the fast growing company including customer service, information technologies, sales management, production scheduling, and finance. In 1994 FitzGerald began working on the international side of the business, which has grown exponentially under his stewardship.
FitzGerald will continue to be based from his home office in Winston Salem, NC, though he will be spending a significant amount of his time visiting retailers and at Confluences Easley, SC headquarters.
