K2-MDV Holdings announced today that John Colonna, current President of K2 Sports, has been named President & CEO of K2-MDV Holdings, with responsibility for the MDV and K2 Sports business. He assumes the CEO position from Christoph Bronder, who is stepping out of active management of the company but will remain on its board of directors. Under his leadership, Colonna will oversee the global presence of the K2 Skis, K2 Snowboards, Marker, Dalbello, Völkl, RIDE Snowboards, LINE Skis, Full Tilt, Backcountry Access, Atlas Snow Shoe Co., Tubbs Snowshoes, Madshus and K2 Skates brands.
"We are very pleased to be promoting John to lead the company in this exciting next phase of accelerating growth for K2-MDV," said Joe Lawler, Chairman of K2-MDV. "John brings deep experience in the outdoor sports industry and has been a critical member of the company's senior leadership team since joining us in the role of President of K2 Sports more than three years ago. John has proven his ability to effectively lead the K2 organization to high growth and profitability, and we are excited to have him step into the overall CEO role for K2 and MDV and lead the execution of its accelerated growth plans in the years to come.
"We also want to thank Christoph Bronder for his many accomplishments during his long tenure within MDV, plus his leadership of K2-MDV Holdings under Kohlberg's ownership," added Lawler. "Christoph leaves the K2-MDV management team with a strong foundation, from which the Company is poised to heighten its growth trajectory in the years to come."
Bronder stated, "I am pleased to support John in his new role as CEO of K2-MDV. He has successfully led K2 Sports to three years of increasing growth, strong profitability and reliable customer service. John also brings a passion for outdoor sports and our brands, and he is respected by all of our customers, partners and employees. I look forward to supporting the continued success of our brands under John's leadership."
As president of K2 Sports, Colonna focused on building the overall strength of the K2 brands, expanding global reach in Japan and the EU, while simultaneously expanding the brands' digital presence with its key partners and launching numerous skis, snowboards and boots such as the much-lauded K2 Mindbender series. Over the past 25 years, he has held senior-level leadership roles with global lifestyle brands such as Burton Snowboards, Rusty, Nike, Levi's and Converse. John brings a deep level of snow sports industry insights from his early days working as a manager and buyer for the Ski Chalet in Niles, Ohio, while also being an avid snowboarder.
"I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to lead this amazing collection of brands and energized by the potential of K2-MDV and the larger snow sports industry," said John Colonna. "To lead these brands after beginning my career selling many of them out of a ski shop in Ohio is truly a dream come true. And to do so with the backing of the Kohlberg & Company ownership group, who care deeply about the future of snow sports as a whole, gives me tremendous confidence in the future of K2-MDV."
About K2-MDV:
K2-MDV is a collection of iconic outdoor and winter sports brands with a specific focus on skiing and snowboarding. Each K2-MDV brand maintains its own individual point of view, drives its own pioneering innovation and is fueled with the collective strength of world-class development facilities, global distribution channels and committed customer service experts.
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Original Source: K2-MDV Holdings Promotes John Colonna as CEO of All K2 Sports and MDV Brands
