La Jolla Group (LJG) announced a number of management changes as part of a move to consolidate business units and align leadership to support O’Neill.
The company noted that it has held the license for the O’Neill brand since 1993 and has historically operated the O’Neill men’s and women’s businesses as separate business units.
“Listening to consumers and retailers, La Jolla Group recognizes the need to have a unified voice for the O’Neill brand from product creation to the marketplace across both genders,” LJG said in a statement. “As such, La Jolla is consolidating business units and aligning behind functional leadership to support O’Neill. The goal is to make great product for retail partners and support that product with authentic stories that resonate with consumers.”
To support this evolution, LJG is announcing several shifts in the leadership team.
Kari Johnson will assume the role of chief creative officer of LJG, overseeing product and marketing creative for the O’Neill brand. Johnson has worked at O’Neill over 15 years, most recently serving as the GM of the women’s business. As the leader of O’Neill women’s, Johnson defined a vision for the brand and successfully executed strategies that have led to strong sustainable growth.
Working collaboratively with her teams, Johnson will be responsible for setting the creative vision for the O’Neill brand and product. Mark Tinkess will join as SVP of revenue and marketing strategy. Tinkess started his career in Santa Cruz with O’Neill before a long tenure at Billabong. Most recently he served as president of Roark and will be joining the O’Neill brand effective March 29.
Josh Wellington has been elevated to president in addition to his current role as COO of LJG. Kari and Mark will report to Wellington, who has been instrumental in driving operational excellence at LJG for the last 13 years.
To support the business, Michael Pratt has joined as CFO and SVP Strategy. Pratt spent more than six years at Nike in strategy and finance roles and will partner with the leadership to drive the vision and strategy for LJG.
CEO Daniel Neukomm stated, “We have invested significant time and effort over the last five years in creating a platform of operational excellence. I am excited about the evolution of our organizational structure to support the next phase of our growth.”
As part of the reorganization, Steve Ward, GM men’s, and Cristy Abella, chief financial officer, have left the business.
“I want to thank Steve for being a steward of the brand for the last 13-plus years and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Daniel said. “I also want to thank Cristy for her financial guidance and efforts over the last eight years.”
