SCARPA names new North America CEO, promotes longtime internal leaders to new posts

SCARPA, global manufacturer of high-performance mountain footwear, today announced Jonathan Degenhardt as new CEO of its North American operation.

Along with Degenhardt’s hire, two longtime employees will be elevated into new leadership positions with additional responsibilities at SCARPA North America. Mark Mathews, currently VP of Sales, becomes Chief Commercial Officer, and Joe Higby, currently VP of Finance, becomes VP of Finance and Operations.

Degenhardt will join the company mid April, and spend an extensive transition period working with longtime SCARPA North America CEO Kim Miller, who will retire early next year.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to Kim for 20 years of partnership. In the process of expanding our presence in North America, he brought a high level of expertise and dedication, and a deep knowledge of the brand,“ said Sandro Parisotto, chairman of SCARPA. “Over the years, we have worked closely together to grow brand awareness in the U.S. and Canadian markets and to ensure that SCARPA is well known and respected. In leading our North American subsidiary, Kim made a significant contribution to strengthening SCARPA’s position in these key markets, always working in close alignment with our headquarters and consistently embodying the values of our company.”

Degenhardt joins SCARPA from Deuter USA and Ortovox USA, where he was managing director for the last six years for those two EU-based brands. It is a full-circle transition for Degenhardt, who worked in sales for SCARPA at the outset of its North American operation 20 years ago.

Mathews’ responsibilities in his new role as Chief Commercial Officer at SCARPA North America will continue to include oversight of sales, and expand to product category development, line planning, merchandising, market research and go-to-market strategy.

In his new role as VP of Finance and Operations, Higby’s responsibilities will grow to include operations for SCARPA North America, including oversight of supply chain and logistics, distribution and systems administration.

“Our strategy is not just hiring a new CEO for North America, but elevating longstanding members of our internal executive team to new positions to support the CEO,” said Stefano Trentin, Co-CEO of SCARPA globally, based at the company’s headquarters and manufacturing center in Asolo, Italy. “This will provide a strong foundation for growth based on institutional knowledge and continuity of company culture and brand values, while also adding a new perspective on how the business runs.”

Degenhardt brings more than 25 years of experience in the outdoor industry, from executive-level leadership to overseeing a marketing department, directing sales, coordinating operations and working in management in specialty outdoor retail. He also has wide-ranging category experience across footwear, apparel and equipment.

“Jonathan’s combination of experience and business acumen is really what made him the right candidate for this job,” Trentin said. “His work in the industry is diverse, and it shows that he can lead at the executive level with the benefit of personal experience from all aspects of business.”

Degenhardt said SCARPA’s approach to this transition, with the elevation of longtime internal leaders and overlap and knowledge sharing with outgoing CEO Miller, sets the stage for success.

“Doing this in a way that is really intentional and takes into account the totality of the team really speaks to SCARPA’s commitment to success. That will set us up to manifest change rather than react to change,” Degenhardt said. “It feels like an ideal way to take on this responsibility. This is a category and a brand I love. Everything about the brand speaks to me — heritage, quality, performance, sustainability, innovation. My first climbing shoes were SCARPA, my first ski boots were SCARPA, so it really feels like coming home.”

Miller said SCARPA’s plan to overlap outgoing and incoming CEOs in North America speaks to its commitment to the market.

“I believe Jonathan is an excellent choice for this position. And I’m appreciative that we have a succession plan that allows significant time for overlap, team building and the opportunity to combine our collective experience and knowledge with a new and fresh perspective for SCARPA,” Miller said. “Building SCARPA North America and being its leader for the last 20 years has been the greatest honor and privilege of my professional career. I'm so grateful to the Parisotto family for this opportunity, and I’m incredibly proud of our company, our team, and what we have built together.”

Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for climbing, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales, marketing and distribution in the U.S., Canada and South America.

For more information on SCARPA, please visit us.scarpa.com.