Salomon
French outdoor sports brand Salomon, part of Amer Sports, has appointed Katharina Bahde as Vice President of Global Strategy and Transformation, and named her to its Executive Board.
In her new role, Katharina Bahde will continue to shape Salomon’s long-term strategic plan and lead key transformation initiatives, reporting to brand President Guillaume Meyzenq.
Katharina Bahde joined the brand in 2024. Over the past two years, she has taken on increasingly important responsibilities in shaping its strategic direction and strengthening collaboration with Amer Sports.
Katharina Bahde brings extensive experience in corporate strategy, transformation, and mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Salomon, she held roles at Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, Bain & Company and Porsche.
Kästle
Austrian ski brand Kästle has announced its latest executive appointments:
- Scott Mellin has been named Chairman of the newly established Kästle Advisory Board (KAB)
- The contract of current CEO Markus Weeger has been renewed
Above: Scott Mellin, Markus Weeger
Kästle’s parent company ConsilTech said the KAB is responsible for overseeing the brand’s strategy, governance and business performance.
Scott Mellin brings three decades of experience in brand building, product innovation and cultural marketing, having worked with several iconic outdoor and performance sports brands, including The North Face and Salomon. Before joining Kästle, he was Salomon’s Global Chief Brand Officer. He also currently serves on the board of cycling brand Rapha.
Markus Weeger has been with Kästle for more than six years. He became Managing Director in July 2024 and was promoted to CEO in January 2025. Before joining the company, he worked at sports event organisers including 808project GmbH and Allgäu Triathlon GmbH. Earlier in his career, he was a professional athlete with the German Ski Association (Deutscher Skiverband).
La Sportiva
Italian outdoor brand La Sportiva has appointed Roberto Fortunato as Chief Executive Officer.
In his new role, Roberto Fortunato will drive La Sportiva’s organisational development and strengthen its business operations. His strategic priorities include overseeing growth processes, refining the organisational structure, and advancing industrial and commercial development projects. He will also join the board.
Roberto Fortunato brings extensive experience in business development and organisational process management.
La Sportiva said the appointment marks the first step in implementing a new organisational structure. Designed to support international growth and the transition between generations of the founding family, the structure combines the family’s accumulated industry expertise with external management and entrepreneurial experience.
La Sportiva’s board is chaired by Lorenzo Delladio, a third-generation member of the founding family. Its other members include fourth-generation family representatives Giulia and Francesco. Lorenzo Delladio also serves as President of Confindustria Trento, the Trento branch of the Italian industrialists’ association.
Head
Austrian sports brand HEAD has announced the following executive appointments:
- Matteo Murer as Ski Boot International Business Manager
- Andrew Couperthwait as Senior Vice President of US Wintersports
- Frank Shine as Strategic Marketing Consultant for the US Business
Above: Matteo Murer
In his new role, Matteo Murer will work with Alberto Cenedesi and the ski boot team in Italy to continue developing the brand’s ski boot category. He previously worked at Italian sports and outdoor group Tecnica Group.
Andrew Couperthwait will report directly to Jeff Bardsley, President and CEO of Head North America, and work closely with Vice President of Sales Rob Mignon to advance the brand’s key sales and marketing objectives in the US market.
Andrew Couperthwait has served as Vice President of US Wintersports at Head since April 2026. He first joined Head in December 2009 and has held roles including Vice President of Product and Marketing at Head USA and Vice President of its Alpine business.
Frank Shine brings more than a decade of experience in the winter sports equipment industry. Most recently, he was Global Strategic Marketing Manager at Italy’s Blizzard/Tecnica. As Strategic Marketing Consultant, he will work with the US team to strengthen Head’s market presence and connect the brand with a broader community of skiers.
| Sources: Official press releases, personal social media accounts, SGB Media
| Image Credit: Personal social media accounts
| Editor: Luxeplace
