The North Face appoints Kath Smith as EMEA General Manager

By

Olivier Guyot

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Mar 27, 2017

The North Face's new EMEA General Manager, Kath Smith, has had a consistent and eclectic career, having worked for Havas, Mars, Diageo and especially Adidas. She was 17 years with the German sport giant, becoming GM of Adidas and Brand Director of Reebok.

Since October 2015 she then was Vice-President Sales for EMEA at The North Face, and has now taken over the region's top job after Arne Arens left for the Americas. Smith will be based at the US brand's European headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland. In the last fiscal year, sales for the VF Corp. brand grew by nearly 20% in the region.

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The North Face posted global sales for $2.3 billion in its last fiscal year, and wants to keep growing in the mountain and outdoor segments, while developing its potential with urban consumers.