SALT LAKE CITY, March 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Diamond, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDE) (the “Company”), a global leader of innovative active outdoor performance equipment and apparel, under the brand name Black Diamond®, has appointed Robert Fry as Black Diamond Equipment vice president of merchandising, Trent Bush as Black Diamond Equipment vice president of apparel design and Radhika Ray to the newly created position of vice president of strategy and investor relations for Black Diamond, Inc.
Fry will oversee all merchandising aspects, including equipment and apparel for the global business units of climb, mountain and ski. His new role entails establishing seasonal product identities and helping drive thematic, aesthetic and technological initiatives related to product creation. Fry will also serve on Black Diamond Equipment’s executive management team.
He previously worked at Mountain Hardwear, serving as global director of product merchandising and design, overseeing outerwear, sportswear, equipment and accessories. He also served on Mountain Hardwear’s research development department across product categories, focusing on innovation, technology and merchandising strategies.
Prior to Mountain Hardwear, Fry worked as a senior product manager for the North Face. In that role, Fry managed global merchandising strategy and commercialization of its Summit Series product line. He served as both the consumer and industry-facing voice of Summit Series for web and print content and successfully instituted a brand elevating go-to-market strategy with technology suppliers such as Gore, Polartec and others. Prior to that, Fry worked as a senior product manager of outerwear for Simms Fishing Products.
“The opportunity to join Black Diamond Equipment is tremendous,” said Fry. “I am excited to collaborate with an extremely talented group of new colleagues and to continue Black Diamond Equipment’s legacy as the most innovative and core brand in the outdoor industry.”
As Black Diamond Equipment’s new apparel designer, Trent Bush will lead an apparel team that has been redesigned to more clearly focus on directly speaking to Black Diamond Equipment’s core consumer.
Bush previously worked as vice president of product and design at Mountain Hardwear. He also founded Trent Bush Design + Create, a firm designed to fit the needs of clients in the areas of apparel, industrial and graphic design, and Brandbase, the parent company of the Nomis and Technine brands, which are leaders in the youth lifestyle and snowboard markets.
Other experience includes creative manager for Burton Snowboards softgoods, as well as co-founder of Analog clothing, a leading specialty-focused snowboard and streetwear division of Burton. He has also worked on various projects with brands like Fjallraven, Outdoor Research, Hestra, Oakley, Marmot, Pearl Izumi, Vail Resorts, Nixon, Jackson Hole Resort, The Hundreds, Skullcandy, Nightmare Snowboards, and Nike/Savier footwear.
“Black Diamond Equipment is a long-admired and trusted company with an absolute commitment to design and innovation excellence,” said Bush. “I look forward to applying this same commitment and dedication to a Black Diamond apparel brand that understands the importance of authenticity as it relates to modern design and branding in today’s consumer market.”
Commenting on these appointments, President of Black Diamond Equipment John Walbrecht stated: “These hires are tremendous industry players that bolster our global operations team in key areas of focus. We look forward to their contributions having a positive impact on our strategy to reform Black Diamond Equipment back to its roots, while enhancing our brand equity through innovation in adjacent product categories.”
In addition to these Black Diamond Equipment hires, holding company Black Diamond, Inc. formed the newly created role of VP of strategy and investor relations with the appointment of Radhika Ray. Ray will leverage her background in operations and executive leadership to further streamline Black Diamond Equipment’s operations, help communicate organizational strategies to the investor community, and assist with the holding company’s redeployment and diversification strategy.
Ray joined the Company from New Avon (a Cerberus company) where she served as executive director, sales analytics and strategy. While there, she led a team across sales analytics, operations and strategy, to help transform Avon’s business by driving a culture of execution excellence.
Her affiliation with Cerberus Capital dates to 2012 where she served as an operations executive, leading deal work alongside the investment team and through interim executive roles. Such other notable interim roles include finance, strategy and operations executive for YP Holdings, a leading local marketing solutions provider in the U.S. Among other senior operations and analytical roles, Ray served as a consultant for McKinsey & Company. Ray received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA with honors from Western University’s Ivey School of Business.
About Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.
Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. is a global leader in creating innovative outdoor engineered equipment and apparel for climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, skiing and a wide range of other year-round outdoor activities. Black Diamond Equipment, and its sister brand PIEPS™, are synonymous with performance, innovation, durability and safety in the outdoor consumer community. Headquartered in Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, our products are designed and exhaustively tested by an engaged team of discerning entrepreneurs and engineers. The Black Diamond Equipment culture of precision and excellence enhance the authenticity of our brands, inspire product innovation and strengthen customer loyalty. Black Diamond Equipment's products are sold in approximately 50 countries around the world. For additional information, please visit our website at www.blackdiamondequipment.com or www.pieps.com.
About Black Diamond, Inc.
Black Diamond, Inc. (Black Diamond) is a publicly-traded (NASDAQ:BDE) holding company which seeks opportunities to acquire and grow businesses that can generate durable free cash flows and attractive returns. The Company has substantial cash balances and net operating tax loss carryforwards which will be redeployed to maximize shareholder value in a diverse array of businesses. Currently, Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. is its only operating subsidiary. Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. is a manufacturer of active outdoor equipment and clothing for the climbing, skiing and mountain sports markets. For additional information, please visit our corporate website at www.blackdiamond-inc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Please 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, the overall level of consumer spending on our products; general economic conditions and other factors affecting consumer confidence; disruption and volatility in the global capital and credit markets; the financial strength of the Company's customers; the Company's ability to implement its reformation and growth strategy, including its ability to organically grow each of its historical product lines, the ability of the Company to identify potential acquisition or investment opportunities as part of its redeployment and diversification strategy; the Company’s ability to successfully redeploy its capital into diversifying assets or that any such redeployment will result in the Company’s future profitability; the Company’s exposure to product liability or product warranty claims and other loss contingencies; stability of the Company's manufacturing facilities and foreign suppliers; the Company's ability to protect patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights; fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products as well as foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards; and legal, regulatory, political and economic risks in international markets. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and 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.