O’Neill Clothing sent me this news early this morning. The company has named Marty Mathiesen vice president of men’s sales and Rhea Aslin as the vice president of juniors merchandising. Both will oversee the day-to-day operations of their respective departments and will report to O’Neill Clothing CEO Toby Bost. Mathiesen succeeds Charlie Setzler, whom became the president of Rusty Clothing. Aslin assumes a new position within the company.
Mathiesen spent the last five years at Reef as the director of domestic sales, and prior to that, he spent six years at Oakley as a sales rep. Aslin worked for a few years at Lucky Brand Jeans as the director of merchandising for women’s apparel and accessories. Prior to Lucky, Aslin spent five years at Pac Sun, with her last role as the divisional merchandise manager of juniors. Aslin has over 14 years experience in the juniors business.
I spoke with Marty on the phone last night and asked him why he made the transition to O’Neill.
“I made the move because of the opportunity that O’Neill has,” he said. “I think O’Neill is on the cusp of greater things.”
Marty wants to expand on what O’Neill is already doing and put a little more focus and energy into accessories, namely sandals.
“That’s my immediate background and there’s still room to grow with sandals and in other accessories like backpacks, hats and belts.”
Marty believes O’Neill has an advantage because it is still privately held while so many competitors have to answer to public shareholders.
“O’Neill is very focused right now. They are not scattered. A lot of companies are growing all over because they have to. O’Neill can focus on what we are good at, and that is surf, and stay true to our roots.”
Here’s what O’Neill Clothing CEO Toby Bost had to say in the press release about his new hires.
“The additions of Marty and Rhea solidify our commitment to growing our business and becoming the leading action sports brand,” said Bost. “Both Marty and Rhea bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our ambitious and talented team. We are excited about the current direction of the brand and accelerating our growth plans in 2008.”
