Who’s on the move: OIA taps Marc Berejka to chair business council; Kate Ketschek’s new PR firm; PrimaLoft promotes Nick Martin and Victoria Lee; and more …

• The Outdoor Industry Association, in Boulder, Colo., has brought on Marc Berejka, director of government affairs for REI, to chair its new OIA Business Advisory Council. The Business Council will address a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from e-retailing to the promotion of outdoor products that are Made in America. Council members, led by Berejka, will provide strategic advice to OIA government affairs staff and industry guidance for OIA’s policy initiatives. The first formal meeting of OIABAC will be in March with monthly conference calls to follow. Berejka has been with REI for the last year and a half and previously was a senior advisor to the secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and for the 12 years before that, a policy expert and advocate at Microsoft.

• Icebreaker, in New Zealand, signaled an increased focus on Europe by hiring Benoit Gazagnes as country manager for France and Spain. In this newly created position, Gazagnes is responsible for strategically developing and implementing Icebreaker’s wholesale business strategy in France and Spain, and also integrating Icebreaker´s global efforts around retail and e-commerce to provide an integrated approach in these markets. He will be based from Icebreaker’s newly expanded office in Annecy, France. Gazagnes comes to Icebreaker from Petzl, where he was sales manager for the company’s pro and sport markets for nine years.

• Kate Ketschek has founded Revolution House Media to provide public relations and marketing services for brands in the outdoor space. Ketschek is the former director public relations at Nemo and will bring her former employer on has her first client to continue helping the brand build strength and recognition within the outdoor and tactical markets. Ketschek will concentrate on establishing relationships with outdoor brands that also speak to the lifestyle and tactical/military markets. In addition to assisting with public relations, she will also offer brand and social media management, media planning, and the facilitation of strategic partnerships.

• PrimaLoft, in Albany N.Y., has promoted Nick Martin and Victoria Lee within its marketing department. Martin will take on the role of product marketing associate, in which he will be responsible for driving outbound marketing activities for all products in PrimaLoft’s portfolio. Lee will serve as sales and promotion associate, in which she will be for brand development strategy of PrimaLoft in North America.

Have news of a new hire or promotion within the outdoor industry? Let us know at news@snewsnet.com.

–Compiled by David Clucas