Salomon Adds Muscle to Apparel Category with New Senior Hire
With apparel growth a top priority, Salomon looks to Jim Howard to direct the mission in the US
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Salomon Sports, the leader in athletic outdoor apparel, is announcing clear dedication to strengthening its apparel category with the leadership appointment of industry veteran Jim Howard.
As the new Vice President of Salomon Apparel USA, Howard is responsible for developing the annual sales plans and budget, market analysis, account forecasts and sales goals as well as long-term objectives for the future growth of the business. Howard will develop the strategic direction with key distribution channels and national accounts and work with USA National Sales Manager Dave Nacke to implement commercial priorities.
“Since growing the apparel category in the US and the overall Salomon brand are key corporate strategies for Amer Sports, we’re pleased that Jim brings such industry expertise and a proven track record to the team,” says Mike Dowse, Amer Sports Winter and Outdoor Americas President and General Manager. “This past year we hired industry veteran Dave Nacke to lead our sales force and improve our service and dealer relations, so now with Jim Howard at the helm, our stellar management team is in place to drive our strategic planning and vision in the USA marketplace.”
“I’m looking forward to working with the great Salomon apparel managers, sales reps and partners to advance the brand,” says Jim Howard. “Salomon makes such high-performing apparel and it’s going to be exciting to lead the USA Go-To-Market strategy and take these great product lines even further.”
Howard comes to Salomon USA after many successful years in senior leadership roles at New Balance, Adidas and Nike, and most recently served as Head of Men’s Go-To-Market for Reebok. He has been at the helm of key strategies for some of the most innovative and successful products in the industry and is widely considered a leading industry strategist, consultant and innovator.
Howard is an avid runner and cyclist, having qualified for the US Olympic Marathon Trials in 1984 and 1988. He has remained integrally involved in the running community as a participant, coach and consultant to a variety of business interests. He will relocate from Boston, Massachusetts to Salomon USA headquarters in Ogden, Utah with his family this summer.
About Salomon Sports
Salomon, the mountain sports company. Salomon was founded in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps. Since then, we’ve been creating innovative products to enhance the performance of athletes. Performance led design is our past. Performance led design is our future.
