Pentland Brands plc appointed Richard Leedham as brand president of its UK-based outdoor brands Berghaus and Brasher. Leedham had held both position on an  interim basis since January.  

Leedham has worked for the British outdoor brand Berghaus since 1995, including the last nine years serving on the companys board and working across international business development, product and sales.  He will also serve as brand president of the boot brand Brasher. Pentland acquired both brands in 1993, but integrated Brasher into Berghaus only recently.

Leedham is well known in the outdoor sector and is also a board member of both the Outdoor Industries Association and the European Outdoor Group.

“Richard has been with Berghaus for 19 years, working in and leading the product and sales functions and, most recently, leading the Berghaus and Brasher business as interim Brand President,” said Andy Rubin, CEO Pentland Brands plc. “We are delighted to make this appointment internally and wish Richard all the best in driving the brands global business growth.

Pentland, owns a portfolio of brands a majority stake in JD Sports Fashion plc, the UK retailer that operates over 800 sports, fashion and outdoor stores across Europe. The company has annual sales of $3 billion across 200 countries. It owns 10 brands and has licenses for five more.

It has been my privilege to work for Berghaus for most of my career and I am very pleased to have this opportunity to lead the company,” Leedham said. “Berghaus and Brasher are very special brands that mean a great deal to many people, not least me.  With our fantastic team here and the invaluable support of Pentland, I believe that the future is very exciting for this business.