Herschel Supply and Arc’teryx find new CEOs

Vancouver backpack and accessories brand Herschel Supply, which recently turned ten, appointed former Arc’teryx president Jon Hoerauf as chief executive officer.

According to the company, the appointment will allow co-founders Lyndon Cormack and Jamie Cormack, who maintain ownership and remain managing directors, to focus on product innovation and business expansion.

Hoerauf spent nearly two decades as a global exec in outdoor apparel. He is expected to help Herschel Supply continue to expand into other product categories and verticals and grow its wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels.

Hoerauf arrives from Arc’teryx, a company he joined in 2012 as VP, global commercial, eventually stepping into the role of president and general manager in 2016. He also served as apparel president for Arc’teryx parent company Amer Sports – whose sporting goods portfolio includes Salomon, Peak Performance, Atomic, Suunto, Wilson and Precor – and as global product director for a collection of high-performance products at The North Face.

Meanwhile, Amer Sports made its own changes to the Arc’teryx leadership team.

Last month, the Finish retail group appointed veteran brand builder Stuart Haselden as the Vancouver-based outerwear and equipment retailer’s first CEO. He succeeds Hoerauf as the company’s lead executive.

Haselden previously worked at a bevy of global brands, including Lululemon (where he was COO and CFO from 2015 to 2020), J.Crew and Saks. He most recently served a short stint as CEO for global luggage and lifestyle brand Away.

In a statement, James Zheng, CEO of Amer Sports, said Haselden’s “rare mix of global brand business leadership and direct-to-consumer expertise will be invaluable as we accelerate Arc’teryx direct-to-consumer strategies.”

Former Nestlé Waters CEO joins Flow 

Flow founder Nicholas Reichenbach is moving into an executive chairman role as Maurizio Patarnello, a 25-year leader at Nestlé, takes over as CEO of the premium water brand.

According to the company, Patarnello will focus on scaling Flow and turning it into a leading North American player in sustainable mineral spring water and wellness beverages. His appointment comes shortly after the company announced its intentions to go public.

Patarnello joins Flow after 27 years with Nestlé, during which he held various positions throughout western and eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In 2017, he was appointed CEO and Chairman of Nestlé Waters, a role he held until the end of 2019. During that time, he helped grow Nestlé Waters’ portfolio of brands, including Nestle Pure Life, Perrier, San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Poland Spring.