Klaus Obermeyer, the founder of Sport Obermeyer, the oldest living company president at 105 years old, is stepping away from his current role as CEO but will remain an active Board member and president.
“For over 75 years, my passion has been helping people and families experience the joy of the mountains through thoughtfully designed gear,” said Obermeyer. “As we look to the future, it’s time for fresh leadership to carry that mission forward.”
The iconic snow sports industry figure, who remained active on the slopes of Aspen longer than most people live, has named outdoor active lifestyle industry veteran Kris Kuster as the company’s new CEO. “Kris understands our heritage, shares our love for the outdoors and brings the vision and experience to lead Obermeyer into its next great chapter,” the founder offered.
As previously reported by SGB Media, the new CEO was, most recently, president and co-owner of X-Bionic’s North America team based out of Denver, CO, a role he assumed in October 2024, and formerly worked for Nitro Snowboard and was named North American general manager for Mammut Sports Group AG in March 2019.
“Kuster brings a sharp focus on operational excellence and forward-thinking strategy to the 78-year-old mountain lifestyle brand and will be announcing a bold new direction for the brand in the coming weeks,” the company said in a media release.
“This moment marks the beginning of a new chapter for Obermeyer,” commented Kuster. “Our team is energized to build on our incredible legacy while expanding our relevance across seasons, categories, and consumer segments—with a renewed focus on women and innovation. We’re investing in the future, and our commitment to premium design and performance has never been stronger.”
Obermeyer also announced that Kalin Tegman the company promoted her to director of sales, and Lilly McSwain was named customer service manager
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With a refreshed leadership team in place, Obermeyer said it is undertaking a bold evolution from a legacy winter sports brand to a year-round, premium outdoor sports company.
In other Obermeyer news, the company is responding to the shifting tariff landscape by implementing a slight price increase on some products coming Fall/Winter 2025 to offset recent government-imposed tariffs.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Kuster added. “Tariffs have placed new financial strain on U.S. companies like ours that rely on global supply chains. These adjustments allow us to continue delivering quality without compromising the integrity or innovation of our product.”
Images courtesy Sport Obermeyer
