Well that didn’t take long.

Salty Crew has hired highly regarded merchandising and design leader Mary Miller, previously senior vice president of women’s at Rip Curl, to lead all its product divisions.

Her official title at Salty Crew is vice president of merchandising and design and she will oversee men’s, women’s and kids’. Miller, who left Rip Curl in mid-June after a restructuring, starts her new job Monday.

“We are fired up to welcome Mary to the Salty Crew family as our VP of merchandising and design,” Salty Crew North America General Manager Jason Shelton told SES. “Mary’s reputation in the industry as a product leader is incredible and I’m excited to have her leading our product team at Salty Crew.

“With her experience in building brands, passion for great product, and connection to the vision that makes Salty Crew what it is, Mary is the perfect fit for our team,” he said.

Proving that she is well regarded, Miller had multiple offers for new jobs right after leaving Rip Curl, and decided on the Salty Crew position.

“I’ve watched Salty Crew from the sidelines for the past few years, and their dedication to authenticity and community building has truly impressed me,” Miller told SES Tuesday. “Joining their team is an incredible opportunity to be part of a brand that aligns so closely with my own values. I’m thrilled to be able to contribute all that I’ve learned from working with some of our industry’s iconic brands to help elevate Salty Crew to new heights.”

Miller had worked for Rip Curl for 15 years, and left the company in June after a restructuring that eliminated her job and several others in the North American division as the company looks to centralize some functions in Australia. The Rip Curl decision surprised industry insiders, especially since Rip Curl women’s is a strong category in the U.S. and the company has publicly declared aggressive growth plans for North America overall.

Now, Miller will work for a Rip Curl competitor – and one that is on the rise and positioned to potentially take more market share as the Boardriders-owned brands move to licensing models.

Miller, a veteran of the industry, also worked at O’Neill as design director, Roxy as a designer, and at Mossimo as an assistant merchandiser during her career.

With the hiring of Miller, Shelton has now filled out his executive team. Courtney Kincaid moved to Salty Crew from Xcel Wetsuits earlier this month as vice president of sales.  Miller and Kincaid join Salty Crew co-founder Jared Lane, who heads up marketing.

Salty Crew is 50% owned by Globe International Limited and is a major growth vehicle for the company.

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