Oboz Footwear hired Sharon Gauding, effective immediately, to the newly created role of vice president of sales and marketing. Gauding, who most recently was the men's footwear buyer for the national retailer REI, began her new job with Oboz at the Outdoor Retailer show that started Aug. 4 in Salt Lake City.
Gauding will be responsible for the sales process and aligning Oboz' marketing and product strategies to support the company's accelerating growth. She will also assist with key North American retail accounts.
“I couldn¹t be happier,” said Oboz President John Connelly. “Sharon will add tremendous value to our brand and the Oboz team. Very few people have her depth of knowledge and experience. She totally understands footwear and what buyers need to be successful.”
Connelly added, “I've been traveling about 140 days a year managing key accounts, working with our sales reps, visiting as many customers I as can, doing dozens and dozens of clinics as well as developing business in Asia and South America. We've managed to grow quickly both domestically and internationally with a small team. Adding Sharon will allow me to focus on the big picture, and, longer term, our overarching brand strategy for Oboz' continued growth.”
Gauding's experience encompasses the full spectrum of retail management over 25 years. She was employed with REI since 2000, where she held analyst, planning and product manager positions in several departments. Gauding's most recent role, from 2006 until March 2011, was managing men's footwear, where, under her leadership, she grew REI's highest volume department by over 47%. Prior to REI, Gauding worked with the Bon Marche and Dillard's department stores.
“I'm thrilled to be on board with such a talented team,” said Gauding. “I'm looking forward to helping build the Oboz brand and working closely with both product and our customers.”
Gauding will be based from her St. Petersburg, FL but will also frequently work alongside the Oboz team in Bozeman, MT, where the company is headquartered.
