Øyvind Lauritzen, former owner and managing director of Skigutane, a group of Norwegian sports brands, has been appointed chief executive at Dale of Norway, the Norwegian knitwear company. He will replace Ole-Bjørn Gjerde, Dale's chairman and shareholder, who temporarily took charge a few months ago after the departure of Dale's longtime chief executive, Hans Petter Angell. Lauritzen was particularly credited with building up Kari Traa, the brand of women's sports apparel owned by Skigutane. When Skigutane was acquired by Active Brands last year, Lauritzen obtained shares in that Norwegian company and he was placed in charge of its product development. However, the function was not convenient, since Active Brands is based in Oslo while Lauritzen resides in Voss, not far from the small town of Dale. While joining Dale early next year, Lauritzen will become a board member of Active Brands and remain one of its shareholders. Dale's majority shareholder, Hilde Midthjell, described the chief executive as an outstanding fit, particularly due to his experience with Kari Traa and product development for apparel. Lauritzen's arrival comes as a revitalized Dale is shifting its focus to the sports and outdoor markets again, as reported in detail in The Outdoor Industry Compass.

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