Who’s on the move: Petzl America names new sales director; Smith adds marketing managers; plus additions at PrimaLoft, Klean Kanteen and more …

• Petzl America, in Clearfield, Utah, promoted Tom Adams to be its new sales director. Adams worked as Petzl America’s Sport Division Manager for the past six years. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving sales across the Sport, Professional, and Headlamp divisions. Prior to joining Petzl America, Adams spent 16 years working with major brands in the outdoor industry, in capacities ranging from manufacturing and retail sales to marketing to sales management.

• Smith Optics, in Ketchum, Idaho, added to new marketing managers to its team. John Hechtkopf will step in as Smith’s new multimedia manager, where he will oversee and manage all video shoots and coordinate the strategic distribution of brand collateral through various multimedia platforms. For the past five years, Hechtkopf has specialized in content production and media management, including creating web content and filming and editing for the ASP World Tour events. He will split his time between Los Angeles and the Smith corporate offices in Ketchum. Aaron Checkwood will take on the role of surf promotions manager, where he will oversee the growth of eyewear among the surf and lifestyle programs for the brand. Based out of Oceanside, Calif., Checkwood spent the previous five years as photo editor for TransWorld Surf magazine and before that held marketing and team management positions at Body Glove and Dragon. 

• PrimaLoft, in Albany, N.Y. expanded its technology and sales teams with two new appointments. It named Eric Ritter as product development engineer, where he will be responsible for new product development for the insulation segment of the business. Ritter has over 25 years of textile engineering expertise and most recently worked for Tex Tech Industries in Portland, Maine. He has patented materials in fire-blocking fabric, thermal and acoustic fabrics, enhanced energy absorbing materials, and carbon-based weld blankets. Jared Cieslewicz joined PrimaLoft as a territory sales manager, where he will develop new relationships with brands that would benefit from PrimaLoft’s proprietary technologies. Cieslewicz previously was product developer at Black Diamond.

• Klean Kanteen, in Chico, Calif., announced a promotion and two new hires on its executive team. Michael Duffy, the company’s national sales manager, has been promoted to director of sales. Prior to Klean Kanteen, Duffy was sales and marketing director at Kokatat, and as held positions with Cypress Grove Chevre, Yakima and various other outdoor companies. Klean Kanteen hired Erika Bruhn as its new director of marketing and brand, where she will be the steward of external and internal brand standards, messaging, and communications on a global scale as well as oversee the brand’s relationship with external agencies. She mostly recently served as the head of marketing at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and spent time at Keen, CamelBack and ClifBar. Phil Notheis joins the company as the director of product management, where he will be responsible for understanding and addressing customer needs, and driving the development and launch of product solutions across global markets. Notheis spent the previous eight years as a category manager for Giro Snow Helmets and Goggles. The changes come after Scott McGuire stepped down from his role as director of sales and marketing, but will remain on with the company as a consultant.

• Nathan, in Sharon Hill, Pa. welcomed Ben Lanza as the brand’s newest product developer for its hardgoods category. Lanza will be in charge of developing the functionality and general innovation in the company’s upcoming Running Essentials product lines to best meet the needs of athletes. Lanza, previously worked at Burton Snowboards and Husky Injection Molding Inc.

Have any new hire or promotions news? Email us at news@snewsnet.com to get into next week’s Who’s On the Move column.