SmartWool has hired Anne Wiper as their new VP and General Merchandising Manager. Ms. Wiper was formerly the Footwear Merchandise Director for Pearl iZUMi, and a Vice President at Salomon where she managed the Salomon Design Center in Boulder, Colo. Her experience at Pearl iZUMi included growing the footwear account base globally by 400% in 2004. Under the supervision of Ms. Wiper, SmartWool will establish its own design center in Boulder. The company stated that plans for a Boulder-based design center have been under consideration for some time, and the hiring of Ms. Wiper has moved the timeline up. The design team in Boulder will work closely with the existing Steamboat office and will allow the company to tap a deeper pool of talent.
