SmartWool Corporation said three internal
candidates have been promoted to fill the newly created positions of general manager, international business; chief financial officer; and vice president,value chain. 

The reorganization of the
SmartWool Leadership Team is focused on improving and further aligning
two primary areas of focus international business and enabling
functions.  The change will better position the company to achieve its
overall goals while also providing the continuity of strong leadership
across all business facets. 

“Global brand consistency at every
level is imperative for us to achieve our goals as a company.  We want
our partners to experience the same SmartWool service and branding no
matter where they may be located in London, Beijing or Denver, Colo.,”
stated Mark Satkiewicz, SmartWool President and General Manager.  “This
restructuring will create a strong foundation for growth and maximize
the opportunities for increased consumer connections with the SmartWool
brand.”

Chris Hahn has been promoted to fill the role of General
Manager, International Business.  In his new role as General Manager,
International Business, Hahn will oversee day-to-day operations for both
the Europe and Asia Pacific teams. His primary focus will be creating
consistent go-to-market strategies for both regions including sell-in,
maximizing brand awareness and activation, and driving the SmartWool
service model to all retail partners outside of North America.

“I'm
honored to lead these teams of dedicated, passionate and talented
people.  I am committed to bringing stability to the teams and clarity
to our global partners while offering a deeper insight into the
SmartWool® brand,” explained Hahn. “This change signifies the importance
we place on our international relationships and brand development in
those regions.  We will continue to invest heavily in all areas of
customer service, sales and marketing as we drive toward being the
number one Merino wool brand throughout Europe and the Pacific Rim.”
 
Well
known as someone who embodies the SmartWool brand and spirit, Hahn has
been with the company for more than six years.   In 2008, he was
promoted to General Manager, Europe, where he led the company's initial
international push.  While leading the European business, the team saw
double digit business growth by improving its overall service model.  In
2009, Hahn was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and
returned to the global headquarters in Steamboat, Colo., to build an
infrastructure capable of significant global growth. 

Hahn has
vacated his current role of CAO and will be moving back to London with
his family immediately to assume his new role.  The CAO position has
been split into two new roles:  Chief Financial Officer and Vice
President, Value Chain.   

Bob Ranftl has been promoted to
the role of Chief Financial Officer.  He is now responsible for
SmartWool finance and IT, as well as project management and global
forecasting.  Ranftl has been with the company for two years as
controller and has been a trusted member of the Leadership Team. 

“Since
moving to SmartWool, I have learned this is an incredible company with a
talented group of people and a significant amount of opportunity ahead
of it,” said Ranftl.  “I'm excited to be more engaged as a higher level
strategic thought partner and overall business leader within the
company.”  

Ranftl has led his team through a complete upgrade
of the company's financial processes which resulted in improved
financial reporting functions and more consistent analytics. He has also
been the strategic lead in restructuring the SmartWool finance and
accounting departments.  Prior to working at SmartWool, Bob was
controller at Lakeshore Learning Materials and Intercontinental Art,
Inc.  

Additionally, Les Wong has been promoted to Vice
President, Value Chain.  In this role, Wong will focus on providing
partnership-level service to our global partners of the SmartWool value
chain.  He will also work with the SmartWool product development team to
help enable the company's ongoing drive toward innovative product
design. 

“SmartWool is on a rapid growth and innovation curve,”
explained Wong.  “SmartWool's supply chain must be positioned
strategically to provide the necessary innovation and technical
capabilities to meet global demands.  This new role provides a great
opportunity for me to lead a passionate and smart group of individuals
in the work of fulfilling those supply chain needs.”

As Director
of Sourcing, Wong has led numerous changes over the last 12 months in
the company's supply chain operation which have resulted in significant
improvements at each link of the chain. Prior to working at SmartWool,
Les worked in operations and supply chain roles for AT&T, Lucent,
and Cadbury Schweppes.

All changes are effective immediately.