
Montane, Europe’s leading specialist brand of lightweight, breathable outdoor clothing and equipment for fast-paced mountain sports, has announced the appointment of Andy Towne as Chair of its refreshed Board of Directors.
The appointment follows the recent investment into Montane by Inverleith LLP, the Scottish based consumer brand investor, which took a majority stake in the company. That investment from Inverleith LLP will see the company expand the distribution of its specialist fast-paced mountain sport products both in the UK and internationally, with a sharpened focus on product development in this rapidly growing market.
Established in 1993, Montane focuses on serving committed and highly active hillwalkers, mountaineers, climbers and trail runners. Its range has steadily expanded to encompass a broad range of outerwear, mid and base layers, legwear, backpacks and accessories for both men and women, with its products sold both in the UK and internationally.
It targets, specifically, the high-performance segments of the outdoor markets, with a focus on consumers who connect with Montane’s ‘Further. Faster.’ mantra.
Andy Towne is an established and respected industry figure within the outdoor & apparel sector. Andy began his career in advertising at leading agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, before moving into marketing roles with the likes of Adidas, Helly Hansen and Reebok. In 2008, Andy became the Managing Director of Musto, the British sailing, equestrian and lifestyle outdoor clothing brand. Following this, Andy spent five years as Executive Board Member and President of Apparel at Amer Sports, one of the leading sporting goods companies in the world, with a brand portfolio including Salomon, Wilson, Precor, Atomic, Suunto, Mavic and Arc’teryx. For the past few years, Andy has specialised in supporting value creation within a number of apparel and lifestyle brands.
Jake Doxat, Montane’s Managing Director, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Andy is joining Montane as the Chair of the Board of Directors. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise within the outdoor and wider sports industry and that experience spans both the UK and international markets. With this background and his personal passion for Montane, I believe Andy will be a great asset for the brand. As I transition to my Board Director and global ambassador role, I look forward to working alongside Andy as he helps to guide Montane as we continue to drive the success of the brand.”
Andy Towne said: “Over two decades, Montane has steadily grown, carefully building its reputation for performance and quality clothing and accessories within fast-paced mountain sports. With involvement from Inverleith LLP as majority investor, the time is right to introduce Montane’s ‘Further. Faster’ mindset to a wider audience and to continue its growth both in the UK and internationally. I’m looking forward to working closely with the team at Inverleith and with Jake in driving forward the Montane brand.”
Paul Skipworth, Inverleith LLP Managing Partner, said: “I have known Andy for a number of years and we are extremely fortunate to have secured him for the role of Chair of the Board. Andy is an accomplished outdoor and clothing industry veteran and the depth of his experience will add much value to the Montane Board and the company.”