Business people : Burton Expands Presence in Canada & Hires Sebastien Paradis to Lead the Charge

BURLINGTON, VT (November 12, 2012) Burton Snowboards is excited to announce plans to increase its support of the brand and snowboarding in Canada by hiring Sebastien Paradis, who officially starts today as the company’s first General Manager for Burton Canada. Sebastien is based in Montreal, Canada and will report directly to John Lacy, Burton’s EVP of Product and North American Sales.

“Canada is so important for Burton and snowboarding in general, so it’s exciting to step up our investments there in sales, marketing and retail support,” said John Lacy, EVP of Product and North American Sales. “Sebastien is the ideal person to lead this effort as he brings an impressive combination of industry credibility and first-hand knowledge of the Canadian market. We’re confident he will make great things happen for the brand and the sport in the region.”

Sebastien comes to Burton with a strong background in marketing andover 12 years of experience in the action sports industry. He spent the last seven years at Red Bull in key leadership positions, most recently as the Business Director of Eastern Canada. In this role, he developed and executed innovative programs to ensure the long-term growth of Red Bull in Canada. Prior to that, Sebastien was the Director of Athlete Marketing for Red Bull North America and was responsible for the overall development, strategy and execution of the brand’s athlete program. Before his term at Red Bull, Sebastien was the Director of Sports Marketing at Oakley Canada where he implemented national sports marketing programs.

Starting this week, Sebastien will collaborate with Burton Headquarters and its Canadian Director of Sales, Pierre Ricard, to evolve the strategic direction for sales and marketing in Canada. Together with Burton HQ, this team will implement programs that will build momentum for Burton and snowboarding in the Canadian market.

“After spending the last 12 years gaining experience with leading-edge brands across the North American market, I am thrilled to join the team at Burton Snowboards, an organization with a richheritage of innovations across a year-round lifestyle that I am so passionate about,” said Sebastien Paradis, GM of Burton Canada. “I can't wait to help lead, support and innovate in the Canadian market, a region that resonates so well with the Burton culture.”

“It’s going to be a lot of fun taking our Canadian business to the next level under Seb’s guidance,” said Jake Burton, Founder and CEO of Burton Snowboards. “His experience in, and around our industry coupled with his passion for snowboarding will serve us all well.”

About Burton
In 1977, Jake Burton Carpenter founded Burton Snowboards out of his Vermont barn and has dedicated his life to snowboarding ever since. Burton has played a pivotal role in growing snowboarding from a backyard hobby to a world-class sport by creating groundbreaking products, supporting a team of top snowboarders and pushing resorts to allow snowboarding. Today, Burton designs and manufactures industry-leading products for snowboarding and the snowboard lifestyle, including snowboards, boots, bindings, outerwear and layering as well as year-round apparel, packs/bags and accessories. Privately held and owned by Jake and his wife, Burton President Donna Carpenter, Burton’s headquarters are in Burlington, Vermont with offices in Austria, Japan, Australia and California. For more information, visit www.burton.com.

( Source Burton Press release )