Outdoor Research has undergone a restructuring, creating a new vice president role that will more closely link product development with its brand heritage.

Outdoor Research hired Jordan Wand for the newly created position of vice president of product and marketing. Wand brings more than 20 years of experience from Merrell apparel, Nike and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Reid Swanson and Tory Jackson have joined GU Energy Labs. Swanson is the new director of sales, responsible for continuing the company’s aggressive growth plan and overseeing the development of new sales channels and opportunities. Jackson is the new business development manager, and in this role he will focus on the health, vitamin and nutrition categories.

Outdoor outfitter Filson has named Mark Korros, 58, as CEO and president. Korros will be based at the company’s headquarters in Seattle.
Korros has over 35 years of experience in management, brand development, product merchandising, direct marketing, e-commerce, and retail and wholesale sales. He has served as president at Samsonite, FranklinCovey, and Central Restaurant Products. Additionally, he held senior executive positions at Reebok, Levenger and Health-tex Childrenswear

New Zealand-based Icebreaker has appointed Keryn Francisco global product design director. 

Francisco has worked for a wide range of companies, from lifestyle to performance sport. She spent the last six years serving as global design director at Nike. From 2002 to 2004 she was design director for Blue Marlin in San Francisco. She was also a design consultant for AG Jeans in South Gate, California in 2001. She worked at Levi's in San Francisco for six years as senior designer.

To meet the rising demands for its outdoor footwear, Vasque has significantly increased its design and development team.

Leading the team is Kyle Rackiewicz, newly promoted Director of Product Development for Outdoor Brands at Red Wing, the parent company of Irish Setter and Vasque. Rackiewicz has more than 10 years of experience working directly with customers and product representatives. He’s been with the Red Wing group for over five years, first as product manager at Irish Setter and later as a design supervisor for both Irish Setter and Vasque.

Zuke’s, maker of all natural pet treats has named John Hart as President, effective immediately.
Hart brings over 15 years experience in the pet industry to his new role. Most recently he served as CEO and CFO for Eagle Pack Pet Foods, where he successfully led the company through a transition from family to private equity ownership.Previously, Hart held several sales, marketing and accounting roles primarily in the wine and spirit industry, where he led the development of sales goals, budget creation and allocation and financial performance tracking.

Gregory Mountain Products has hired John Pieper as Director of Sales and Marketing in North America and Andrea Meerholz as Brand Manager in Europe.

Pieper has served as Director of Sales at Osprey packs for the past three years and previously worked at Petzl America for eight years—six as Sales Director and two as Headlamp Division Manager.

Meerholz comes to Gregory from Mammut, where she operated as the company’s Export Sales Manager. She has nearly two decades of experience in the European Outdoor Industry and has worked in a variety of international sales positions for Odlo. Both hires will facilitate Gregory’s move to Utah in January 2011.

Big City Mountaineers (BCM) has appointed a new executive director, Lisa Mattis. Lisa will lead the organization’s efforts to serve more youth through its one-to-one wilderness mentoring expeditions with adult volunteers. Lisa has a long history with BCM, having served as a member of the Board of Directors and participating as an adult volunteer on BCM’s week-long wilderness expeditions. Prior to this role at Big City Mountaineers, Mattis was the National Director of Individual Giving at Outward Bound USA. Lisa joins BCM as they prepare for the 2011 Summit for Someone benefit climb program.