Craft Sportswear North America has named Eric Schenker as its new chief executive officer.

Schenker previously held the position of director of sales and marketing and will take over the role of CEO on his 10-year anniversary with Craft.

“I am proud of what we¹ve accomplished in the last decade,” Schenker said.

“Knowing the products that we have in the works and the fantastic team around me, the next 10 years should be pretty amazing. Craft's brand statement is 'Enjoy The Hard Work' and that couldn¹t be true for me.”

Under Schenker's direction, Craft will implement an aggressive
five-year strategic plan with major investments in inventory, marketing
and sales leadership. In addition, Craft will be launching into the
corporate apparel category with a new athletic collection of products
specific to the North American marketplace.

The transition also coincides with the launch of Craft's newest base
layer collection, Be Active Comfort. The contemporary collection
offers high performance with a casual feel and a great price point.

“Forty years ago Craft created the world¹s greatest base layer,”
Schenker said. “Now, 20 million base layers later, we¹re doing it again
with the Be Active Comfort line.”

Both Craft's outgoing CEO and its parent company, New Wave Group,
expressed confidence in Schenker¹s appointment.

“Eric's leadership and in-depth knowledge of the brand and industry
will be of great value in taking Craft to the next level and growing
our market position,” said Torsten Jansson, managing director and CEO
of the New Wave Group.

Huub Valkenburg, who established the Craft distribution in North
America, will relinquish all executive responsibilities and join the
management board of Craft North America.

“I've had the distinct
pleasure of working closely with Eric for 10 years, and I know that
he¹s the right person to lead Craft in the years ahead,” he said.

Craft focuses on training apparel for cross-country skiing, biking, running and alpine skiing.