Vibram Appoints Marketing Director

Vibram appointed John McMahon as director of marketing. McMahon has over 15 years of marketing expertise in the footwear and athletic apparel industry, including several years at Reebok.

“John has an impressive track record for leading marketing innovations, successfully launching new product concepts and gaining strong returns on sponsorship investments,” explained President and CEO Mike Gionfriddo. “He will be instrumental in successfully globalizing and unifying our marketing efforts.”

At Reebok, McMahon developed expertise in many facets of marketing, including sports marketing , brand communications and retail marketing. His impressive retail marketing background includes a groundbreaking deal with automated retail partner Zoom Systems to secure locations in malls, airports and military bases nationwide; and, to leverage the rapidly growing women’s division, he helped open a new channel of distribution with leading retailer Destination Maternity.

As Reebok’s marketing director of the Sports Licensed Division, McMahon oversaw eight years of double digit growth from exclusive license agreements with the NFL, NHL and NBA, working closely with over 500 professional team athletes. McMahon was named a 40 Under 40 Honoree by Sporting Goods Business, recognized for several key initiatives, including the "Be a woman, Be a fan" NFL campaign, resulting in 80-plus percent growth in the NFL women's apparel business for Reebok.

“I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of such an innovative and well established brand,” explained McMahon. “And, I look forward to working with my colleagues in both the U.S. and Italy to successfully launch creative footwear solutions.”

Headquartered in northern Italy with US offices based in Concord, MA., Vibram is recognized worldwide as the leader in high performance soles for outdoor, recreational, work and fashion footwear and is relied on by the world’s greatest climbers and athletes. In 2006, Vibram introduced its first finished product: Vibram FiveFingers, a revolutionary and patented toe shoe and an unrivaled alternative to conventional footwear.

By press release