K2-MDV Holdings announced that John Colonna, current president of K2 Sports, has been named president & CEO of K2-MDV Holdings, with responsibility for the MDV and K2 Sports business.
He assumes the CEO position from Christoph Bronder, who is stepping out of active management of the company but will remain on its Board of Directors. Under his leadership, Colonna will oversee the global presence of the K2 Skis, K2 Snowboards, Marker, Dalbello, Volkl, Ride Snowboards, Line Skis, Full Tilt, Backcountry Access, Atlas Snow Shoe Co., Tubbs Showshoes, Madshus and K2 Skate brands.
“We are very pleased to be promoting John to lead the company in this exciting next phase of accelerating growth for K2-MDV,” said Joe Lawler, chairman, K2-MDV. “John brings deep experience in the outdoor sports industry and has been a critical member of the company’s senior leadership team since joining us in the role of president of K2 Sports more than three years ago. John has proven his ability to effectively lead the K2 organization to high growth and profitability, and we are excited to have him step into the overall CEO role for K2 and MDV and lead the execution of its accelerated growth plans in the years to come.
“We also want to thank Christoph Bronder for his many accomplishments during his long tenure within MDV, plus his leadership of K2-MDV Holdings under Kohlberg’s ownership,” added Lawler. “Christoph leaves the K2-MDV management team with a strong foundation, from which the Company is poised to heighten its growth trajectory in the years to come.”
As president of K2 Sports, Colonna focused on building the overall strength of the K2 brands, expanding global reach in Japan and the EU, while expanding the brands’ digital presence with its key partners and launching skis, snowboards and boots. Over the past 25 years, he has held senior level leadership roles with global lifestyle brands including Burton, Rusty, Nike, Levi’s, and Converse. He brings a strong command of snow sports industry insights from his early years working as a manager and buyer for the Ski Chalet in Niles, OH, while also being an avid snowboarder.
Photos courtesy K2 Sports/K2-MDV Holdings
