Boardriders hires Nate Smith as President of the Americas, Healy to lead APAC

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Jun 29, 2017

Boardriders, the company formerly known as Quiksilver, announced on Wednesday the appointment of Nate Smith as President of the Americas region. He will succeed current Global President and Americas leader Greg Healy, who is returning to Australia to lead the APAC region.
 

The appointment of Smith is part of Boardriders’ turnaround program. Healy moved to the US two years ago to steer the company in the right direction. Boardriders filed for bankruptcy in September 2015 and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2016, with an investment from Oaktree. The company changed its name in March 2017 to Boardriders to signal a new era and to better reflect the company’s brand portfolio that includes Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes. 

Now, Healy is moving back to Australia to lead the APAC region.

“We continue to make significant progress in our turnaround program, and the Company is in a fundamentally different place today than it was when Greg moved to the U.S. two years ago,” said Pierre Agnes, Chief Executive Officer of Boardriders. “Greg made a huge sacrifice to uproot his family from Australia and move during a time of turmoil for the Company. His leadership was critical to stabilizing the business and returning it to growth. I cannot thank my trusted partner enough for his efforts over this period.”
 
Smith, Healy’s successor as President of the Americas region, attended the U.S. Naval Academy, served as a Navy Seal and later received his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He also held management roles at Patagonia, Oakley and IPath Footwear.