Italian footwear brand AKU announced that Canice Harte will join the AKU Outdoor company, serving as the vice president of sales & marketing in the U.S. Starting immediately, Harte, based in Park City, Utah, will focus on increasing exposure and expanding the brand’s sales presence in the U.S.
Harte is a sporting goods and outdoor industry executive and entrepreneur who has worked for top tier brands such as Salomon, Patagonia and The North Face. He has successfully taken a company from concept to acquisition. He most recently held the position of vice president of licensing and innovation at Nathan Sports Inc. which focuses on the specialty running market. Prior to that Harte launched his own venture, Waterbox, a lifestyle water bottle company and successfully sold it after four years.
“Canice has a strong skill set in business development, brand building, product design, development and sales and marketing,” said Rick Cook, president of AKU Outdoor. “His proven ability to build strong, cohesive teams and serve as an engaging leader makes him the perfect candidate for this job.”
“The opportunity to be part of the age-old prestigious tradition of Italian workmanship is a dream come true for me,” said Harte. “I am looking forward to building a world class team in the U.S. We have the full support of the global brand in Italy and we’re excited to share our love and passion for incredibly comfortable and durable footwear with the U.S. market.”
