MANUFACTURING
Action Sports Vet Smith Joins Boardriders
Nate Smith was named president of the Americas region for Boardriders Inc., the Huntington Beach, Calif., parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes.
Boardriders is the corporate name Quiksilver Inc. took after it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2016 and went private. Los Angeles–headquartered private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management was the majority stakeholder after Quiksilver emerged from bankruptcy.
Pierre Agnes, Boardriders’ chief executive officer, said that Smith will help make the action sportswear company stronger. “Nate is a seasoned industry executive who will lead the company’s business in the Americas toward accelerated growth. His distinctive leadership skills, strong business acumen and deep experience at leading apparel and footwear companies is the right combination to drive Boardriders’ transformation into its next phase,” Agnes said.
Smith served as executive for action sports and action sports–friendly companies such as Oakley, iPath and Patagonia. He also earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.
Smith replaces Greg Healy. Healy will return to his native Australia to run Boardriders’ Asia Pacific region. Healy started his U.S. stint two years ago, around the time Quiksilver declared bankruptcy.
“Greg made a huge sacrifice to uproot his family from Australia and move during a time of turmoil for the company. His leadership was critical to stabilizing the business and returning it to growth,” Agnes said.
