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Smith has appointed Taryn Ryan as global head of marketing.
A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Ryan has a history and successful career in the eyewear and sports industries having worked extensively across retail, wholesale and global brand management.
She joined Luxottica Group in 2008 as a buyer for Sunglass Hut before her promotion to business manager for the sport portfolio in 2010, with a focus on the Oakley brand across Africa and the Middle East.
In 2017, Ryan relocated to Milan, Italy to lead Oakley as head of brand management where for the past five years she focused on rebuilding the brand foundation and category development. Her successes include the development of Oakley’s optical category.
Joining the Smith team after a record year of sales in 2021, Ryan’s role continues to support the growth of the brand by overseeing all aspects of marketing, communications, public relations and trade merchandising across wholesale, retail and digital channels around the world.
“Smith has such a rich and long history backed by a powerful portfolio of product innovation that continues to engage and invite new customers year after year,” said Ryan.
“As the first female head of marketing for Smith, I’m proud to join the leadership team of a dedicated and inclusive brand, and look forward to sharing my voice and experience to further the growth and development of our products, stories and technologies to all outdoor adventurers, enthusiasts, and athletes.”
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Ryan will relocate to Portland, Oregon to work alongside the team at Smith headquarters. She will report to Francesco Rinaldi Ceroni, president and global general manager at Smith.
Outside the office, Ryan is completing an executive MBA at IE Business School in Madrid and will graduate at the end of 2022. She can be reached at taryn.ryan@smithoptics.com.
