Sustainability Chair and Vice Chairs Appointed

Zug, Switzerland – As we start the New Year, the European Outdoor Group is pleased to be able to announce the appointment of Chair and Vice Chairs to ensure the continued success of its Sustainability Working Group.

At the Steering Group meeting of the Sustainability Working Group (part of the European Outdoor Group) in November, Cortney McDermott (CSR & Sustainability Manager, The North Face EMEA) was re-elected as Chair of the Steering Group. Cortney has been a strong leader for the Group since it first started in 2008; she commented, ‘I am delighted that the whole Group has shown confidence and support of the work that I have been doing; as a team we are working well together, and without the Group’s support I wouldn’t be able to do the work necessary. During 2010 the Steering Group and the various committees working under our guidance will start bringing sustainable solutions to the industry that can be utilised by small and large companies alike. This is a fantastic collaborative industry initiative and we encourage more companies and individuals to become involved.’

At a vote just prior to Christmas the Steering Group also voted on the Vice Chairs of the Steering Group, retaining Anne Girard, Petzl and voting in a new replacement Vice Chair for Kilian Hochrein. Saskia Preenen, from Salomon has accepted the position of Vice Chair. Kilian Hochrein will continue as Chair of the Standards and Regulations Committee, a sub committee of the Sustainability Working Group and will now be able to concentrate on the progression of the work being undertaken in the area of standards, regulations and labels.

Saskia brings different skills to the position of Vice-Chair including a global overview of the product creation process and project management experience to bring real time solutions. On hearing that she had been voted in to the position of Vice-Chair Saskia commented ‘I am eager to take on the additional responsibility within the Steering Group, because I firmly believe in the work we are doing. The Sustainability Working Group can do so much more for the outdoor industry than as a single company and by working together we can make a difference.’

The work of the SWG is NOT exclusive to members of the European Outdoor Group; it is operating on an open source basis and welcomes involvement from all areas of the value chain.

Notes to Editors:
The European Outdoor Group is an association set up to represent the common interests of the European outdoor industry.
Founded in 2003 the European Outdoor Group has 52 members, which include some of the largest brands in the world. The combined strength of the member brands, and a close cooperation with national outdoor associations, provides an extremely powerful force to represent the whole European outdoor industry in a constructive and positive manner.

Further information about the European Outdoor Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

The Sustainability Working Group (SWG) was established at an open meeting at the OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany in 2008. The Steering Group of the SWG is currently made up of representatives from adidas, Vaude, Mammut, W L Gore, Salomon, Haglöfs, The North Face, Deuter, Globetrotter, Petzl, Bever Zwerfsport and the European Outdoor Group.

Further information about the Sustainability Working Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorsustainability.org
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com