Quiksilver President Resigns
Marty Samuels, a longtime executive mainstay of Huntington Beach, Calif.–based surf giant Quiksilver, has resigned as president of the Americas region, a position created for him in 2005. Samuels, who had been with Quiksilver for 12 years, had held other posts within the company, including president of Quiksilver Men’s.
Craig Stevenson, most recently president of the Quiksilver brand and president of Quiksilver’s South Asia Pacific business, has been named interim president of Quiksilver Americas.
In a statement, Samuels gave no reason for his departure but said, “I loved every minute of my time with Quiksilver, and I wish Bob [McKnight] and all the great people I’ve worked with the very best of luck.” McKnight—Quiksilver’s chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer—thanked Samuels for his efforts on behalf of the company. “Marty was instrumental to our growth during his time here, a period in which we’ve established ourselves as the leading action-sports lifestyle company, and we will miss him,” McKnight said in a statement.
In his new position, Craig will be tasked with navigating the choppy waters of an economic downturn and company restructuring. “As we work to better align our cost structure and improve the efficiency of our global business, I am confident that Craig is the right person to lead the Americas team in this difficult environment,” McKnight said in the statement. Stevenson joined Quiksilver in 1992. —Erin Barajas
