MANUFACTURING
Deckers Outdoor Names New President for Teva
Deckers Outdoor—the California company known for its shoe brands Ugg Australia, Teva, Sanuk, Tsubo, Ahnu, Mozo and Hoka One One—has appointed Jeffrey Bua as the new Teva brand president.
Bua will be responsible for all aspects of the Teva brand, an outdoor water sandal, and will report directly to Angel Martinez, Deckers’ president, chief executive and chair of the board of directors.
Bua replaces Joel Heath, who left the company to pursue other opportunities, the company said.
Prior to joining Deckers in 2011 as Mozo brand president, Bua worked at several footwear companies, including RG Barry Corp., Hi-Tec Sports, Umbro and Reebok.
“Jeff has demonstrated the ability to take brands to the next level during his 30-plus-year career in the footwear industry,” Martinez said. “Over the past several years we’ve made good progress repositioning the Teva brand to attract a younger, more active consumer. Jeff’s broad range of experience will be incredibly valuable as we look to leverage the brand’s sandal heritage to create new growth vehicles within the outdoor space.”
Teva’s sales have declined recently. In 2012, they were $115.5 million, down 7.4 percent from $124.8 million in 2011.
The company said it is concentrating this year on growing its international Teva sales to Asia and Latin America.
In the United States, the Teva brand is sold at sporting goods stores such as REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority.
