Salomon has hired Steve Doolan as its president of the Americas.
According to the French sportswear company, Doolan will lead Salomon’s Americas business from its regional headquarters in Ogden, Utah.
The newly appointed executive will be responsible for driving strategy, operations and growth within the region and serving as a key member of the executive board for the brand, according to Salomon. He is set to start on Oct. 23.
Doolan joins the company from Deckers Brands’ star running label Hoka, where he held a variety of strategic commercial, business development and sports marketing roles over the past five years. Most recently, he served as VP and GM of Hoka U.S. and has held other titles like VP of global commercial strategy and sports marketing; senior director of global commercial strategy; and director of strategic accounts. According to LinkedIn, Doolan first started working with Hoka in 2008 as a brand sales manager through its original distributor, The Soze Group.
Franco Fogliato, president and CEO of Salomon, said in a statement that Doolan’s experience, knowledge and passion for the business will be an “incredible asset” to the company. “The Americas region represents a large opportunity and a company priority,” Fogliato said. “We are looking forward to him joining the Salomon board and accelerating our growth path in the Americas.”
Doolan added in a statement that Salomon’s long heritage of product advancement and commitment to serving athletes and outdoor enthusiasts was a “huge motivating factor” for him to want to join the team.
“I have a lifelong history of using Salomon’s game-changing products, from the S/LAB Shift ski touring binding and industry-altering skis like the Teneighty on the hardgoods side to Salomon soft shell fleeces on the apparel side,” Doolan said. “Now, I’m looking forward to spending more time in Salomon footwear on the trails near my home in the Rockies.”
In recent years, Salomon has gained the love of the fashion world, reaching a fever pitch earlier this year when Rihanna wore the MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross Low sneakers during her performance at the Super Bowl. The moment undoubtedly led the shoe to make the top 10 hottest products for Q1 2023 on the Lyst Index earlier this year.
Other recent collaborations, like with Sandy Liang, have also been popular with the fashion elite.
But Salomon was hot well before that buzzy halftime show. According to StockX, Salomon was the fastest-growing sneaker brand on the marketplace last year, experiencing 2,277 percent trade growth in 2022 over 2021.
