Clarus’ Black Diamond Equipment Appoints Neil Fiske as Brand President
03 February 2023 - 12:00AM
Black Diamond, Equipment, Ltd., a leading manufacturer and
distributor of innovative, high performance outdoor equipment,
apparel, and footwear, and a subsidiary of Clarus Corporation
(NASDAQ: CLAR) (“Clarus” and/or the “Company”), has appointed Neil
Fiske to the role of Brand President.
Fiske will be responsible for accelerating growth and lifting
profitability by capitalizing on attractive expansion opportunities
across various categories, channels and regions. He joins Black
Diamond® from Marquee Brands, a leading brand accelerator with a
portfolio of 13 brands. As a CEO for almost 20 years, he has
extensive experience in the outdoor, active, and apparel
categories, having led transformational change at Marquee Brands
(including Dakine and Body Glove), Eddie Bauer, Billabong
International, the Gap, and L Brands. An avid outdoorsman and
experienced mountaineer, Fiske brings deep expertise in building
brands, driving innovation, and improving operational
performance.
Clarus Executive Chairman Warren Kanders commented: “We are
thrilled to have someone of Neil’s experience and talent leading
Black Diamond, a brand we believe has tremendous growth potential
globally. Neil fully appreciates the brand’s fifty-year heritage,
its culture, and core values, but also the need to modernize and
look forward. With this appointment, we look forward to building
Black Diamond to its fullest potential.”
After leading the successful turnaround of the Bath and Body
Works division of L Brands, Fiske became the CEO of Eddie Bauer
where he brought the heritage brand back to its outdoor roots.
Notably, he conceived and launched the highly successful First
Ascent line using an innovative process driven by a world class
team of guides, athletes and mountain professionals. The
expedition-grade line proved to be a major catalyst in revitalizing
Eddie Bauer’s position as an authentic outdoor outfitter.
Fiske then took over as CEO of Billabong International as part
of a rescue and recapitalization turnaround program. Under his
leadership, Billabong revamped its product line, marketing, digital
channels, and operations under a strategy of “global brands on
global platforms,” which resulted in significant share gain for the
company’s biggest brands. Fiske continued his leadership in the
active/outdoor sector as CEO of Marquee brands, which owns Dakine
and Body Glove.
Fiske commented, “When your life in outdoor adventures depends
quite literally on the gear you choose, you form a lasting bond
with those types of brands. That’s certainly been my experience as
a user of Black Diamond. I’ve long admired their uncompromising
standard to be the best at what they do. It comes from the brand’s
long-standing ethos Founder Peter Metcalf established from the
beginning – ‘to be one with the sports we serve and absolutely
indistinguishable from them.’ We will honor and build on that
legacy as we shape it for the future. I couldn’t be more excited to
be part of the team that will take this revered brand to new
heights — for our customers, retail partners, employees, suppliers,
and investors, it’s going to be a great climb.”
Fiske received his BA from Williams College and MBA from Harvard
University. His work has received numerous industry awards for
product innovation, marketing, and brand building.
About Clarus CorporationHeadquartered in Salt
Lake City, Utah, Clarus Corporation is a global leading designer,
developer, manufacturer and distributor of best-in-class outdoor
equipment and lifestyle products focused on the outdoor and
consumer enthusiast markets. Our mission is to identify, acquire
and grow outdoor “super fan” brands through our unique “innovate
and accelerate” strategy. We define a “super fan” brand as a brand
that creates the world’s pre-eminent, performance-defining product
that the best-in-class user cannot live without. Each of our brands
has a long history of continuous product innovation for core and
everyday users alike. The Company’s products are principally sold
globally under the Black Diamond®, Rhino-Rack®, MAXTRAX®, Sierra®,
and Barnes® brand names through outdoor specialty and online
retailers, our own websites, distributors and original equipment
manufacturers. Our portfolio of iconic brands is well-positioned
for sustainable, long-term growth underpinned by powerful industry
trends across the outdoor and adventure sport end markets. For
additional information, please visit www.claruscorp.com or the
brand websites at www.blackdiamondequipment.com, www.rhinorack.com,
www.maxtrax.com.au, www.sierrabullets.com, www.barnesbullets.com,
www.pieps.com, or www.goclimbon.com.
Forward-Looking StatementsPlease note that in
this press release we may use words such as “appears,”
“anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “future,”
and similar expressions which constitute forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs
concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. We caution that
forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual
results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in
the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties
that could cause the actual results of operations or financial
condition of the Company to differ materially from those expressed
or implied by forward-looking statements in this release, include,
but are not limited to, those risks and uncertainties more fully
described from time to time in the Company's public reports filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the
section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K, and/or Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as in the
Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking
statements included in this press release are based upon
information available to the Company as of the date of this press
release and speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no
obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect
events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
Company Contacts:John C.
Walbrecht PresidentTel
1‐801‐993‐1344john.walbrecht@claruscorp.com
Aaron J. KuehneExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating
OfficerTel 1‐801‐993‐1364Aaron.kuehne@claruscorp.com
Michael J. YatesChief Financial OfficerTel
1‐801-993-1304mike.yates@claruscorp.com
Investor Relations
Contact:Gateway Investor Relations Cody SlachTel
1‐949‐574‐3860CLAR@gatewayir.com
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