KEEN Inc. Appoints James Curleigh to Executive Team As President & CEO

Portland, OR – Following on the announcement of Kirk Richardson to the newly created position of Chief of Sustainability, KEEN, Inc announces the appointment of James Curleigh as the President and CEO.

Curleigh served most recently as the President and CEO of Salomon North America where he led a Team focused on brand passion and product innovation. In his 12 year tenure at Salomon, he was part of the leadership team responsible for Salomon’s surge in Winter sports and the successful extension into the Outdoor Category with Footwear, Apparel, and Accessories.

He has also had various levels of engagement with other Salomon related companies which include Bonfire Snowboarding, Arc’teryx, TaylorMade Golf, Atomic, and Suunto.
Curleigh also has extensive international experience as he spent 6 years in Europe in a variety of executive positions at Salomon before taking the leadership position in North America in 2001.

Prior to Salomon, he had a successful career in consumer goods at Mars, Inc. where he was directly involved with business strategy, brand extensions, and Olympic sponsorship.

“KEEN has made a significant impact in the Outdoor community around innovation and sustainability in a short period of time. With the added focus on Corporate Social Responsibility by Kirk Richardson, I am confident we will put KEEN in an even stronger position for the future. I look forward to the opportunity of leading the KEEN organization to the next era of success for the brand and the business.” said Curleigh.

Curleigh is an environmental advocate and serves as a Board of Trustee on the Waterkeeper Alliance which supports clean water and strong communities. He served as the Chairman of the Board for the Snowsports Industry of America in 2006-07. He is also an avid Outdoor enthusiast and member/coach for the Outdoor Activities Program at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon.

Curleigh is a triple citizen of the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom and now calls Portland home. He lives there with his wife Jacqueline and their 3 young children.

About KEEN:

KEEN Inc. is an outdoor brand that delivers innovative hybrid products, enabling all outdoor enthusiasts to live an active lifestyle. Founded in 2003, KEEN was first recognized for its Newport sandal, which featured patented toe protection technology.
The brand offers a wide variety of footwear, socks and bags.

The company strives to demonstrate integrity and leadership, especially on social and environmental commitments, while promoting an inclusive outdoors community. Through its giving program Hybrid.Care, the company provides support to a variety of social and environmental organizations around the globe.

Based in Portland, Oregon, KEEN products are available in retail locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Central America, South America and Europe. To learn more, visit www.keenfootwear.com.

# # #