Italian sailing-inspired sportswear brand North Sails has appointed Victor Duran as its new CEO. An experienced executive with stints at other sports brands, Duran has set three priorities for North Sails: boosting product marketing, consolidating the brand on various European markets, and expanding its presence outside Europe.

Duran’s appointment was made official today, though he took office on February 24. Duran had been at consulting firm McKinsey since 2019. Between 2016 and 2019, he was CEO of the Intersport group, having first worked in the sport apparel and equipment sector as senior vice-president direct retail, e-commerce and marketing at Amer Sports, and as CMO of the Rossignol group. He had previously worked also at Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar and Zyman.

“His proven success in growing brands and promoting operational excellence makes him the ideal leader to drive North Sails into its next phase of growth and innovation,” said Vicente Castellano, president of North Sails Technology Group in a press release.

Duran has set North Sails three priorities under his stewardship. Firstly, promoting the product range more intensely, especially to its Italian clientèle, which will be the target of extensive marketing campaigns between now and July, and from September to November. Spain, France and Germany are also priority countries according to Duran, who intends to capitalise on the brand’s current presence at El Corte Inglès and Galeries Lafayette, alongside the stores in Saint-Tropez and La Trinité-sur-Mer in France.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with the talented team at North Sails Apparel, North Sails Technology and Oakley Capital to further strengthen our global presence and drive success for years to come,” said Duran, who also said he is keen to grow the brand in North and Latin America, as well as in Asia, Turkey and the Middle East.