Progression Brands Group (PBG), an equity investment and operating company in the active lifestyle category, announced new executive board appointments and strategic market relationships.
The board appointments include:
• Paul Silvertown, president and CEO of Impact Group, and previous head of global sales of Canada Goose and GM of Canada Goose International AG;
• Clark Gundlach, principal of the Gundlach Group, previous SVP/GM of Winter Sports at Quiksilver and longtime executive at Burton Snowboards;
• Pat McIlvain, VP of marketing at Toca Football and previous VP of global sports marketing at Oakley;
• Patricia Babka, entrepreneur, former director of the Outdoor Division at Totes Isotoner and GM Skins USA, with development roles at Pearl Izumi, Columbia and The North Face;
• Daniel Clayton, founder of Clayton Incorporated, a sales agency based in New England, and a former director of sales at Oakley and Anon.
Progression Brand Group, headquartered in Minnesota, said its “mission is to level the playing field for emerging brands by helping passionate entrepreneurs focus on creating something bigger than themselves.”
The company added, “PBG not only invests, but partners with and provides expertise for up-and-coming brands working in the active lifestyle category. At the start of each new relationship, the brand selects an executive from PBG’s talented roster of industry executives to join the brand’s executive team. Executive leaders provide strategic advice, sourcing leads, business coaching, and valuable top-level leadership. They enhance the brand’s ability to focus on what it does best: create innovations and re-activate the market. PBG’s expertise helps drive decisions that will unlock the future value of the brand.”
Ian Widmer, president and CEO, explained his motivation for founding PBG. “The retail landscape has and continues to change. We know emerging brands are the future and revolutionizing today’s landscape, but like all of us, they can’t do it alone. The hand-picked members of PBG were leaders at companies when those brands were most disruptive and innovative. We believe that collective expertise will serve as a powerful force when working with the next generation of brands.”
Widmer formerly served as an executive member of the board and vice president of sales, Europe at Canada Goose International AG from 2015 to 2017.
An additional element offered by PBG is the strategic market relationships it provides access to in design, marketing, sourcing and sales. The newest members in design and sales include the following:
• Collier Brands, an independent brand and design agency based in Boulder, Colo.;
• Clayton Incorporated, an independent sales agency in New England that has represented such brands as Oakley, Canada Goose, Spyder, Quiksilver and Black Diamond;
• Moraine Sales, an independent sales agency in the mid-Atlantic that has represented such brands as Canada Goose, Hestra, Spyder, Spiewak, Scarpa and Tretorn.
“We believe that culture, product differentiation and good business fundamentals are the keys to success. We have a strong cultural synergy within our group and portfolio. We take serious note of all three areas as we look for additional brands to invest and partner with,” said Widmer.
