After some years of lying relatively low in the U.S. market, U.K.-based Inov-8 hired industry veteran Jim Howard as U.S. general manager to lead U.S. sales, marketing and operations. Howard will work from Inov-8’s U.S. offices outside of Boston.
Howard expertise in the outdoor and athletic business includes senior level roles at Nike, Adidas and Salomon. He began his career managing The Runners Den, a leading run specialty stores.
Howard’s hire comes at a critical time for Inov-8 USA, as Japanese performance ski brand, Descente, purchased a majority share in the brand last summer, July 2015. The new board saw the importance of the U.S. Market in Inov-8’s future.
The initial brand launch in the U.S. Market in 2004 was built through grassroots initiatives in mountain running markets. “With Howard’s appointment and his experience in the outdoor category, there is opportunity to refocus in the U.S. as the leading all-terrain brand,” said the company.
“I was attracted to inov-8 because of the authentic, grassroots nature of the brand as well as its continued commitment to product excellence and customer service,” Howard said. “I am excited to be part of the team focused on relaunching the brand in the U.S. market.”
