Dive Brief:
- Authentic Brands Group named Matt Maddox president to oversee the company’s commercial team and lead global growth of its brands across new verticals and industries, the company announced Monday.
- Maddox joins the company after more than 20 years in the hospitality and gaming industries. He most recently served as CEO of Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts, a role he held since 2018.
- As part of the announcement, Authentic also said Nick Woodhouse will become executive vice chairman. Woodhouse has served as president and chief marketing officer of Authentic for the past 12 years, according to the executive’s LinkedIn profile.
Dive Insight:
Though Authentic’s next president is from outside its ranks and the industry, founder and CEO Jamie Salter plans to capitalize on Maddox’s industry-spanning experience. Maddox’s experience is “incredibly valuable as we diversify our business across new verticals and industries,” Salter said.
Maddox’s past roles include serving as CFO of Wynn Resorts Macau and assisting with the development of the company’s Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace resorts.
“At Wynn, we worked with Authentic over the years, and I developed great admiration for the entrepreneurial spirit and growth profile of the company,” Maddox said in a statement.
Matt Maddox has been appointed president to oversee the company’s commercial team and lead global growth of its brands.
Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
His addition to the leadership team brings another senior executive with experience in international development to Authentic’s leadership team. Last year, Authentic appointed Jeff Daggett as senior vice president and head of Japan. Based in Tokyo, Authentic said in an announcement then that Daggett’s expertise would help the company drive growth and strengthen its market presence in Japan.
Authentic owns more than 50 global brands that generate about $32 billion in annual retail sales. The company operates in 150 countries and says it has more than 13,000 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops. Its retail portfolio includes Reebok, Aéropostale, Forever 21, RVCA and Van Heusen.
Authentic was also one of a few partners in Sparc Group, an operating entity that recently announced a joint venture with J.C. Penney.
In October, Authentic said it would partner with Saks Global in a joint venture to launch the Authentic Luxury Group, which included Barneys New York, Judith Leiber Couture, Hervé Léger and Vince.
Authentic last year built out its portfolio of brands elsewhere, including with the acquisition of Sperry with Aldo Group and acquisition of Champion from HanesBrands.
