(Sharon Hill, Pa.) – Nathan, the world leader in creating purposefully-designed hydration, visibility, and essential performance gear for dedicated athletes, announced today the hiring of Rick Olson to the position of vice president of sales.

Olson, an experienced and well-rounded leader who has guided high-growth sales teams to success during both start-up and market leader phases, will oversee all sales efforts of the company’s running specialty, sporting goods, and outdoor retail accounts. He will also play an instrumental role in working with the executive, product, and marketing teams to lead and implement successful go-to-market processes and strategies. Olson will be based out of Denver, Co.

“We are thrilled to have Rick join the team, as he embodies the spirit and heart we have at Nathan and Penguin Brands,” says Bridgit Lombard, EVP of Penguin Brands, Nathan’s parent company.  “Determined, humble, and down-to-earth, Rick’s addition to our talented and passionate sales management team shows our ongoing commitment to putting the right people in place to best serve our retail partners, solidify our foundation, and reach our collective goals.”

Olson has a proven-track record of driving profitable growth in multichannel and multibrand environments in the outdoor and sporting goods industries, while demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit and a keen business sensibility. Over a five-year period at 180s, Olson drove sales from $1 million to $45 million, and assumed the role of vice president and general manager.

Olson’s knack for driving growth continued at Franklin Retail Solutions, where he achieved 28 percent growth in his role as vice president, and at Mountain Hardwear as director of sales and customer service, where he drove the successful re-launch of the Montrail footwear brand.

Olson joins an executive and sales team that has grown in experience and depth over the past year, including the hiring of Tricia Papile to the role of CFO; the appointments of Jim Frazier and Canice Harte to VP of product and VP of licensing and innovation, respectively; the hiring of Mike Haky and Lindsay Cousley to the roles of regional managers for the East and West regions, respectively; the hiring of Michael Lewis to the role of director of purchasing and planning, the hiring of Brent Hollowell to the position of VP of marketing; and the hiring of Dennis Henriques to the position of Director of Operations.

“I am thrilled to join such a talented, engaged, and growing team,” says Olson. “I’m energized by Nathan’s continued commitment to its retailers, partners, and consumers in providing the best in product, support, and strategic business development, and look forward to working as part of the leadership team to progress the company’s sales goals and go-to-market processes.”

For more information, contact Ellen Cassidy at ecassidy@penguinbrands.com or visit www.NathanSports.com.