Apparel and lifestyle brand TravisMathew has announced two key senior hires for the launch of its new European office.
Matt Freeland and Matt Cox will be joining the team as the company’s General Manager EMEA and the Strategic Key Account Manager EMEA, respectively.
Freeland, who joined TravisMathew in October from his previous role as commercial director of sportswear brand Champion, has been tasked with growing and scaling the TravisMathew brand across the EMEA region.
Freeland, whose CV also includes spells at Lyle & Scott, Calvin Klein and Puma, said: “I’m acutely aware that roles like this do not present themselves often; I believe that everything I’ve worked towards and achieved during my career has led me to this extraordinary opportunity. Having worked at some incredible brands, where I’ve learnt the true meaning of leadership, I’m now privileged to be able to grow and lead a hugely talented and motivated team, who will strategically position TravisMathew as a highly aspirational sports lifestyle brand across the EMEA region.
He added: “The culture within the company is truly infectious and like no other I’ve ever experienced. It is the culture that makes TravisMathew so immensely unique and something I am committed to embrace and instil in every member of the EMEA team.”
Cox takes up the position of TravisMathew’s Strategic Key Account Manager EMEA following his previous role as a Key Account Manager at adidas Golf. His new role includes assessing and creating the business plan for the EMEA market, while spreading brand awareness at a customer and consumer level.
Cox said: “I’m tremendously excited about helping to build the TravisMathew business across Europe. The brand has huge potential and is set up for success in Europe. The culture I have experienced since starting has really validated my decision to join TravisMathew, and I look forward to working closely with Matt Freeland and our US colleagues to drive the vision.”
Bryon Pattullo, VP of Sales at TravisMathew, said: “We could not be more excited to see this plan come to fruition. Stewart Clare, our Head of Sales & Product, has done an incredible job over the past four years building an exceptional base that we can now launch off from. We pride ourselves on building our brand around incredible people. The addition of Matt Freeland and Matt Cox is very exciting for exactly that reason. Through their interview process as well as their first few weeks on the job, they have quickly shown they are excellent cultural fits. There are a lot of exciting times ahead for TravisMathew as we build out our dedicated UK-based EMEA team.”
Ryan Elis, CEO of TravisMathew, added: “Our golf business has grown nicely in Europe, headlined by our partnership store located behind the 18th green at St Andrews Links. We are now ready to expand, building teams both in the UK and greater Europe, investing in marketing, ecommerce, off-course and lifestyle trends. Matt Freeland has experience in all of these areas with an impeccable track record and fits into our culture perfectly and will drive the business with passion and ownership to build and lead an incredible team.”
