KMD Brands Ltd. (Group), owner of the Rip Curl, Oboz Footwear and the Kathamandu chain, elected Philip Bowman as chair of the board, succeeding David Kirk, who announced on March 31 his intention to step down.
Bowman is currently chair of NZX-listed Sky Network Television, chair of Tegel Group Holdings and an independent director of Amsterdam-listed Ferrovial SE. He was appointed to KMD’s board in September 2019.
KMD Brands noted the appointment comes as the company’s Next Level turnaround strategy “is beginning to deliver positive momentum and remains confident in the Group’s strategic position. The short-term focus is to sustain and build on this initial momentum whilst continuing to lift consistency of execution across all brands.”
KMD said the Board intends to provide a market update on Q3 trading no later than the last week of May 2026.
Bowman said, “KMD Brands has strong brands, a recently refreshed senior management team, and a clear new strategic direction through the Next Level turnaround plan. As evidenced by the H1 Result the Company is beginning to rebuild positive momentum after a difficult period. As Chair, my focus will be to set clear priorities, to monitor execution against these priorities, and to hold Management accountable for delivering results against our Next Level objectives, to generate long-term value for shareholders.”
As part of Bowman’s election as chair, the Board has commenced an active program of Board renewal. A search for two new non-executive directors is underway, supported by an external search firm. The Board renewal process is focused on identifying directors “whose skills and experience will strengthen governance, support performance and provide additional optionality for longer term Chair succession.”
Kirk will remain on the Board for a transition period, until the appointment of an additional New Zealand-based non-executive director, to maintain compliance with the NZX Listing Rule requirement for two directors ordinarily resident in New Zealand.
The Directors thanked Kirk “for his leadership of the Board over the past 12 years during some challenging times, including the Covid epidemic and a prolonged period of economic downturn in New Zealand.”
KMD also said Zion Armstrong has advised the Board of his decision to resign as a non-executive director effective 1 May 2026, to focus on his role as chief executive officer at Jamie Kay Group. The Board thanked Armstrong for his contribution.
Image courtesy KMD
