Gary De Bay has been named Executive Vice President of Global Strategy and Marketing for Spyder Active Sports after serving the brand on a consultant level since November 2007. De Bay will be responsible for global brand strategy and marketing for the Spyder Ski, Spyder Active and Spyder Venom lines, and for the recently acquired Cloudveil Mountain Works brand. He will oversee all brand marketing functions, including consumer marketing research, joint venture and licensed store development, catalog and e-commerce programs, advertising, sports marketing, online marketing, and digital brand content. De Bay will report directly to Jake Jacobs, President and CEO of Spyder.
 
De Bay brings more than twenty years of new product innovation and global brand and category management experience to Spyder. De Bay was most recently President and Chief Marketing Officer of EXPLOR LLC, a global brand development company focused on category innovation with top global brands and emerging growth companies. During his career, De Bay has led global strategic planning, multi-channel retailing, consumer product innovation and global brand ventures with brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, ESPN, BMW, Apple, Starbucks, Quiksilver, Exclusive Resorts, DuPont Brands and Proctor & Gamble. De Bay is a 1998 Executive MBA graduate of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, and a cum laude graduate from Ohio University’s Brand Marketing School.


“Gary’s proven experience in accelerating the profitable growth of world-class brands will benefit Spyder during our high growth phase,” said Jake Jacobs.  “His strategic planning, multi-channel retailing and category brand management experience will help us take Spyder and Cloudveil brands to the next level as premium, sports-lifestyle brands,” he said.