RipCurl announces new CEO: “It’s an absolute privilege”

RipCurl chief executive Brooke Farris.

Three months after former RipCurl boss Michael Daly stepped up to take the mantle of leading the wider Kathmandu Group, the surfwear brand’s GM of Women’s Brooke Farris will take up RipCurl’s vacant leadership position.

Having started working with RipCurl in 2010, Farris has moved through the business’ marketing and digital departments to reach the position of GM of Women’s, which saw her renew the brand’s focus and vision of its women’s brand, while also growing its relevancy.

“RipCurl has been threaded throughout my life since I was a teen,” Farris said.

“It’s an absolute privilege to lead our talented and passionate crew across the world, and I’m motivated to build on our esteemed 52-year history and capitalise on our continued market success.”

Daly said he was delighted that Farris will be taking up the leadership position, as she has been instrumental in the brand’s success during the last decade.

“I am confident she will bring this same commitment and leadership to her new role,” Daly said.

RipCurl has been a bright spot for the Kathmandu Group since its acquisition in 2019, partially buoying the group through a period of time where outdoor activities are difficult to access – with the on-again-off-again nature of lockdowns in Australia putting many people under stay-at-home orders at differing intervals, and the inability for most people to travel overseas meaning many of the business’ products are hard to justify.

“Covid-19 continues to be a disrupting factor, in particular for Australasia during the key trading period for Kathmandu,” Daly said in June, when the wider group cut its full-year expectations due to the mass store closures it is experiencing across the country.

Due to the foreseen impact of the closures, the business its sales expectations to approximately $930 million and EBITDA to $120 million – signaling a $13 million hit to earnings.

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