Quiksilver and Boardriders Veteran Greg Healy to Step Down
Longtime Quiksilver and Boardriders top executive Greg Healy, who now works for Liberated Brands, is stepping down from his current role as CEO of APAC.
He will be replaced by Damian Campbell, who will become interim president for Liberated APAC in August.
“Leaving a company that I love so much is bittersweet but knowing Damien is my successor makes it that much easier,” Healy said in an internal memo to staff, according to Liberated.
Liberated, which previously had the license to operate Authentic Brands Group-owned Volcom in the region, now also has Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper, and Honolua under its umbrella, in addition to approximately 200 retail doors formerly owned by Boardriders in the territory.
Greg worked for Quiksilver and Boardriders for nearly 30 years, and was a key part of the leadership team. He served as the utility player who not only ran APAC, but also parachuted in to help other global regions during times of need, including the Americas and Europe.
“I can’t say enough amazing things about the type of natural leader, teammate, and friend that Greg Healy has been to me and many others in the global action sports community over his decades of selfless service,” said Dave Tanner, the current CEO of Aspen One and former CEO of Boardriders. “During my eight years of getting to work side-by-side with Greg, he was the consummate culture carrier and builder, confidant, change agent, consumer and customer compass, and talent builder.
“Greg was always giving of himself to take on whatever/whenever all over the globe with his humble, disarming, cheerful, and no ‘BS’ style. Through many a storm, Greg was the real glue that kept the Quiksilver/Boardriders ship navigating to its next port. I and thousands of others owe him a debt of gratitude and a hearty congrats, thank you, and best of luck in his next journey,” Dave said.
Former Roxy surfer Bruna Schmitz and Greg Healy. SES file photo.
Greg has experienced a lot during his tenure, including the restructuring of the Quiksilver’s Americas business, the Quiksilver bankruptcy and transition to Oaktree Capital ownership, the integration of the Billabong and Quiksilver businesses, and most recently, the sale of the Boardriders brands to Authentic Brands Group and the transition to new licensee Liberated.
“Throughout my journey, I have been deeply moved by the opportunity to nurture our Americas, EMEA, and APAC businesses and guide their transformations,” Healy said in the memo. “The lifelong friendships I have made across the globe and the experiences I have shared with everyone make me forever grateful for the opportunity to work alongside so many of you and be part of such a great company.”
Former Quiksilver executives Garry Wall and Taylor Whisenand with Greg Healy. SES file photo.
New Liberated Interim APAC President Campbell most recently served as head of sales, marketing and e-commerce for Liberated, and prior to the Boardriders sale, headed up sustainability efforts and sales for Boardriders in the region.
He also worked for Oakley and Luxottica for nearly 20 years.
“We are deeply grateful to Greg for his unwavering commitment and industry dedication for nearly three decades,” said Liberated Global CEO Todd Hymel. “Though he will be greatly missed, we are proud to uphold his legacy and look forward to working with Damian to further the impact of our brands across the regions.”
SES reached out to Greg, whom we have known for years, to comment about his long career, and he declined, preferring to remain behind the scenes as he is inclined to do.
However, we did have a fairly substantial interview with him in the past where he discussed what it was like to parachute into the Americas region after the Quiksilver board fired former CEO Andy Mooney and named Pierre Agnes CEO and Greg president. It gives a flavor of his management style and describes the chaotic circumstance he walked into in the Americas region at the time.
