KMD Brands Limited has appointed Ashley Reade as chief executive officer of Rip Curl. He will also join the parent company’s executive team, reporting to Group CEO Brent Scrimshaw.
Ashley will join the Australian surf brand in the coming months from Nike, where he is currently the vice president and general manager of Nike Pacific, responsible for growing the region to an AU$1 billion business.
At Nike, Ashley also held strategic leadership positions at its headquarters in Portland, OR, overseeing global sales for women’s sportswear and men’s training. Before that, he worked for Nike in Shanghai, China, where he was responsible for teams that oversaw the strategic account portfolio, including two of its top five global retail partners.
Brent Scrimshaw, Group CEO and Managing Director, KMD Brands, commented, “Ashley has a proven track record of fostering deep consumer connections, building world-class teams, and driving outstanding growth. I’m thrilled to welcome him to KMD Brands and look forward to a partnership that will elevate Rip Curl to be the number 1 surf brand worldwide.”
Reade said, “Rip Curl is the ultimate surfing company, and joining this iconic brand as CEO is a career-defining moment. Having spent the last 20 years celebrating sport and its central role in the lives of customers worldwide, I’m excited to bring that same passion to surfing and the lifestyle it represents.”
Ashley grew up in Victoria, Southeast Australia, and spent summers surfing and exploring its coastal surf where Rip Curl was founded.
Image courtesy Nike/LinkedIn
