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Dive Brief:
Hands-free footwear brand Kizik has named Gareth Hosford its new chief executive officer, effective Monday.
Hosford succeeds Monte Deere, who led the brand since 2019 and plans to spend more time with his family, the company said. Deere will remain on the board of parent company HandsFree Lab and advise on the business’s licensing arm, according to an announcement.
Hosford most recently was chief operating officer and CFO of performance apparel startup Omorpho, and before that, he held leadership positions with Converse and Nike. At Kizik, Hosford will be active in scaling innovation, expanding its global presence and growing its licensing business, per the release.
Dive Insight:
Kizik has tapped a seasoned apparel and footwear executive to lead it into its next chapter of growth. At Nike, Hosford spent over 10 years in senior leadership positions, including as global strategic planning director and general manager of Nike football in the U.K. and Ireland.
Kizik’s new CEO, Gareth Hosford, previously held leadership positions at Nike and Converse.
Courtesy of Kizik
The CEO change follows other executive appointments at Kizik. Former Sperry executive Elizabeth Drori was named chief marketing officer last July, while Andreas Harlow, a 20-year Nike veteran who was global footwear creative director for the Jordan Brand, was brought on as Kizik’s first senior vice president of design in November.
As it looks to future growth, Kizik continues to seek ways to expand its product offerings and selling platforms. The brand has opened new stores in the U.S. and established partnerships to sell its products in the U.K., Japan, Canada, South Korea, France, Spain and more. The footwear company also launched its first pop-up location in New York City in 2024.
Company executives feel that launching and licensing the brand’s hands-free technologies may offer the biggest growth opportunity for the business.
“As we officially launch our HandsFree Labs technology brand, we expect it will become an ingredient across an even wider variety of the shoes you love from your favorite brands on the market,” Deere said in an email. “We believe HandsFree has the potential to ultimately eclipse our Kizik footwear brand in enterprise value.”