Pentland Brands announces leadership transition for Americas

Pentland Brands, which owns sports, outdoor and lifestyle brands, has named former Converse executive Joe Spies as president of Americas as Matt Rock steps down.

The announcement comes as Rock, the current president of Americas, steps down after a 19-years with the fashion group, which owns brands including Speedo, Berghaus, and Ellesse.

Spies, who joined the company earlier this year as senior vice president of sales for Pentland Brands North America, brings more than 17 years of experience from his time at Converse, where he served as vice president of wholesale for North America. He will become president of Americas this month.

Commenting on Rock’s years of service, Chirag Patel, chief executive officer at Pentland Brands, said in a statement: “We’re incredibly grateful for Matt’s leadership, dedication and contributions to Pentland Brands over the years.

“As we bid farewell to Matt, we also look forward to the energy, vision and leadership Joe Spies will bring as we move into a new phase of innovation and growth for our brands across the Americas region.”

Rock began his career with Pentland Brands in 2005 when he joined as sales director for Ted Baker footwear, later advancing to managing director of the brand. His journey saw him taking on the role of global supply chain director in 2015 and then president of Asia Pacific in 2018, where he led global supply chain and regional commercial teams. In 2022, Rock undertook the significant responsibility of integrating the Speedo North America business into Pentland Brands’ global operations and selecting a local leader for the Americas division.