We are excited to welcome seasoned retail and apparel executive Christopher Heyn to our Board of Directors!
Heyn has extensive experience in the apparel and retail industry and has propelled numerous brands to growth and prominence in their category.
He was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Southern Tide, which is one of the fastest-growing lifestyle apparel brands in the United States with leisure and activewear collections for men, women and children as well as collegiate themed apparel and fashion accessories.
While at Southern Tide, Heyn led the brand’s omni channel expansion to build its direct-to-consumer and business-to-business efforts, oversaw the opening of 20 retail stores, improved the catalogue, and expanded product availability to more than 1,200 specialty retailers including premium department stores as well as the resort and golf channel. He also enhanced the company’s brand ambassador program to promote Southern Tide among influencers on college campuses, launched a women’s collection, and oversaw the creation of a brrr° Collection of apparel that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the skin.
Earlier in his career, Heyn was CEO and Chairman of sportswear marketer Summit Golf Brands, where he transformed the company’s operations by enhancing revenue and profitability to propel Summit Golf to become the third-largest golf apparel company in the country. He previously served as Senior Vice President of the National Basketball Association’s Global Merchandise Group and served as President of Nautica, where he helped elevate the brand to become the #2 ranked men’s sportswear collection in the United States.
“Chris is one of the most insightful and forward-thinking leaders in apparel and retail, and we are fortunate to add his expertise and wisdom to our Board of Directors,” said Mary-Cathryn Kolb, Founder and CEO of brrr°. “Chris has a special talent for spotting and responding to consumer demands, and we welcome his hands-on leadership and institutional knowledge as we strengthen our board and enter a new stage of growth.”