KMD Brands Limited, parent of the Rip Curl, Oboz and Kathmandu brands, has appointed Ian Morrice as an independent non-executive director to the Board of Directors (Board), effective August 20, 2026. The move comes following the Board renewal process announced in May 2026 and the recent reverse split of shares following an emergency capital raise.
Morrice reportedly brings over 30 years of senior leadership, business transformation, and strategic advisory experience across the retail, consumer, and wholesale sectors in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and the UK, according to a company media release.
“We are delighted to welcome Ian to the KMD Brands Board. Ian has an outstanding track record leading and transforming major retail and consumer businesses across New Zealand and Australia,” commented Philip Bowman, Board chair, KMD Brands. “His deep operational and strategic expertise, together with his extensive governance experience and strong focus on shareholder value creation, will further strengthen the Board as we continue to execute our Next Level strategy and evaluate other opportunities to accelerate value generation for shareholders.”
KMD said Morrice is best known “for his leadership of large publicly listed businesses, including as group CEO of Metcash Limited and CEO of The Warehouse Group, where the company said he led business transformation initiatives, strengthened organizational capability and delivered shareholder value.” KMD continued “his extensive experience in retail operations, consumer markets, strategic growth, business transformation and capital allocation will be highly valuable as KMD Brands continues to execute its Next Level strategy.”
“KMD Brands owns a portfolio of highly regarded outdoor and lifestyle brands with significant potential,” said Morrice, non-executive director, KMD Brands. “Throughout my career, I have worked with retail and consumer businesses to improve performance, strengthen customer relevance and deliver sustainable growth. I look forward to contributing that experience as the Group delivers its Next Level strategy and develops opportunities to create long-term value for shareholders.”
As required by the Group’s constitution and the NZX Listing Rules, Morrice will hold office until the KMD Brands Annual Shareholders’ Meeting following the effective date of his appointment, at which time he will resign and stand for election.
In accordance with the listing rules, the Board has determined that Morrice is an independent director of the company.
Last week, KMD converted all 25 KMD shares held by an individual shareholder into a single share to true up a diluted capital structure.
Images courtesy KMD Brands Ltd./LinkedIn
