Penguin Brands Hires EVP of Sales and Strategy

Penguin Brands, Inc. hired Bridgit Lombard to the position of executive vice president of sales and strategy.

The company is the parent company of Penguin Shoe Care, Nathan Performance Gear, Sorbothane Performance Insoles, Penguin Apparel Care, Tectron Fabric Treatments, Fetish Shoe Care, NewRide Shoe Care, and the official licensee of Ironman Reflective and Hydration Gear.

Lombard, with over 13 years of international and national sales and marketing experience, will assume the newly-created role with the responsibility of crafting an even more aggressive business expansion strategy to support the exponential growth of Penguin Brands, while also working with its international sales staff and retail partners to further ignite sales.

“Bridgit Lombard has the commercial astuteness, creative drive, and focus to spark further innovation with our retail partners,” says Jon Reichlin, CEO and President of Penguin Brands. “I am excited to have her expertise onboard, and for our retailers to meet and work with this passionate executive.”

Lombard brings a broad range of experience in marketing, business development, and organizational design from an equally broad range of industries. She held senior executive roles with Clear Channel Communications, MetLife, and Deloitte before opting to launch her own business. As co-founder of the London-based Tenega Group, Lombard was able to partner with some of the world's most prominent organizations, including Virgin, American Express, Shoprite, MetLife, Body Shop, Borders, and Rite Aid, helping each develop, and then drive, sustainable and profitable business plans.

In addition to her professional experience, Lombard brings the focus and determination of an athlete to Penguin Brands. Lombard attended the University of Notre Dame, where she ran track and field, and earned her bachelor's degree. She later attended the London Business School. Today, she is a current member of the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation, and an aspiring triathlete.

“As we broaden our reach as a company through innovation, creativity, and continued commitment to growing our partners' business, our need for fresh eyes from outside our industry has grown,” says Reichlin. “As an athlete herself, Lombard's unique mix of talents, skills, experiences, and passion make her an excellent match for tapping into, and energizing, our culture of creativity.”

For Lombard's part, she noted her excitement at joining Penguin Brands, an organization she says is clearly poised for continued growth.

“Penguin Brands, having already grown so dramatically over a short period of time, demonstrates the mark of a dynamic company loaded with talented staff,” says Lombard. “The marketplace dominance of brands like Nathan Performance Gear demonstrates to me that innovation is the driving force of Penguin Brands, and I am fortunate to come onboard at such an exciting time.”