Bergans is reinforcing its international management with the appointment of two prominent executives to lead sales and marketing at the Norwegian company, which has been headed up formally since December by Leif Holst-Liæker. Bergans makes about 65 percent of its turnover in Norway, with Sweden and Germany as other large European markets, and the target is to raise the share of international sales to about half of the group's sales in the mid-term.
Bart Meijers is joining Bergans as international sales manager in October. He is switching from Nike, where he was category sales director for sportswear in Western Europe. Meijers is to supervise sales in all countries other than the Nordic markets, where sales are overseen by Jon Gregertsen, sales director for the Nordics. His assignment covers all sales activities carried out by Bergans' German subsidiary, which services the larger European markets, as well as its subsidiary in the U.S. and its joint venture in Russia. Meijers is moving from the Netherlands to Norway, to work from Bergans' head office in Hokksund.
Karl-Henrik Felde is taking the job of international marketing manager, to reinforce the brand's profile in all markets, and to work on in-store brand building. Felde is switching from Viking Footwear, where he is head of marketing, after several years as general manager for Berghaus Nordic and other assignments in sales and marketing at Nike and Puma. He is starting at Bergans on Aug. 15 and will be reporting to Ronny Hammer, the Norwegian brand's global marketing director.
Felde has already worked for the same company as Holst-Liæker, since Bergans' chief executive was previously managing director of Viking Footwear and then managing director at Bertel O. Steen, the joint venture partner in Berghaus Nordic.
Both the international sales and marketing jobs are described by Bergans as new positions. Øystein Bomo, former head of sales and marketing at Bergans, switched to Devold of Norway as sales director at the start of last year. Peter Carati, who headed up Bergans Outdoor in Germany, retired early this year and was formally replaced by Holst-Liæker. Pat Loomis, president of Bergans USA, retired and handed over earlier this year to Keith Patterson, previously vice president of sales and marketing.
