Mike Abbott, who joined Keen as its president in early July, has left the company. In a statement provided to SportsOneSource, Keen said, “Keen has made the difficult decision to part ways with Mike Abbott. We wish him the best of luck with his future pursuits. Keen will continue to be run by its founder, owner and CEO, Rory Fuerst.”
The confirmation of the exit came as Abbott was scheduled to make his first extensive meetings with the media at the Outdoor Retailer Show.
Abbott was formerly COO of Specialized Bicycles and COO/CFO of Burton Snowboards and brings many years of experience in business leadership and building industry-leading brands to the company.
Abbott had essentially replaced Keen's former president, James Curleigh. Curleigh, who was appointed executive vice president and president of the Levi’s brand in July 2012, was also CEO. With Curleigh's exit, Rory Fuerst named chief executive officer and Fuerst kept that title with Abbott's arrival.
Keen declined to comment on whether it would seek a new president.
