Footwear brand Keen Inc. hired John Eberle to serve as general manager of its outdoor, lifestyle and kids division.
Eberle will oversee global business operations, management strategy and product and business development for Keen’s largest product category, officials said.
“We are thrilled to have John join this world-class executive team, as he brings a unique passion for business and the outdoors. John is the absolute best fit for leading our largest business into the future,” said Keen President Steve Meineke.
Prior to Keen, Eberle spent 13 years at Nike in various roles – most recently as VP/GM running emerging markets, where he managed the holistic running business across numerous international countries while growing revenue to $1.1 billion and achieving top-brand positioning in seven of his nine territories. At Nike, Eberle also held GM and global business director positions for a decade, spanning domestic and international business, finance, product and equipment management. Before Nike, Eberle cut his teeth in the footwear industry at Fila, Rockport, Puma, New Balance and Avia, in roles ranging from VP global communications to product manager.
“Keen presents a perfect storm of opportunity, strong culture and great talent,” Eberle said. “I’m humbled to be trusted to help this brand accelerate to the next level. My decades of outdoor athletics and business have equipped me to truly understand Keen, as well as help guide this brand to a leadership position in the outdoor/lifestyle industry.”
Eberle will join the Keen team on August 9 and will be based in the company’s Portland, OR global headquarters.
Eberle is Keen’s fourth executive hire in the last year. Earlier this month, the company welcomed Tyler LaMotte as VP of brand marketing, and in the past 12 months Christy Saito joined Keen as VP, global product merchandising, outdoor and lifestyle and Rob Langstaff joined as VP, international.
Lead photo courtesy Keen
