Arc’teryx Equipment, the Canadian sports brand inherited by Anta Sports Products and other interests through their investment in Amer Sports in 2019, announced the appointment of Karl Aaker to the role of VP brand, effective immediately. In his new role, Aaker will be responsible for leading the global brand strategy, reporting directly to Stuart Haselden, CEO of the company since February. The new position was created for Aaker to decrease the workload of the previous VP brand and digital, George Weetman, who will now serve as VP digital commerce. Weetman is also a member of the senior leadership team at Arc’teryx.
Previously, Aaker led the brand and community strategy for the men’s initiative at another Vancouver-based company, Lululemon, whose founder, Chip Wilson, is one of Amer Sports’ shareholders Prior to that, he spent five years at Nike, building the global strategy for elite athlete training programs and developing the brand’s long-term positioning in several sports categories. Aaker has also consulted across several industries spanning sportswear, the outdoors and social change.
