KÄSTLE CREATES ADVISORY BOARD AND APPOINTS SCOTT MELLIN AS CHAIRMAN

Austrian ski brand Kästle has appointed Scott Mellin as chairman of a newly created advisory board, bringing one of the outdoor industry’s most experienced brand strategists into a business preparing for a major transformation.

Mellin will chair the Kästle Advisory Board, or KAB, established by ConsilTech, the company’s owner, to oversee the brand’s strategy, governance and performance. His appointment comes as Kästle seeks to strengthen its international profile, expand its specialist retail distribution and build a larger global community of skiers.

The move gives Kästle access to an executive whose career has spanned brand development, product innovation, sustainability, sports marketing and cultural positioning. Mellin has held senior roles at some of the most influential names in outdoor and performance sport, including The North Face and Salomon.

At Salomon, where he served as global chief brand officer, Mellin was responsible for the vision and modernisation of the French mountain-sports brand. Kästle says he added $1 billion in net revenue and doubled brand awareness during his three years with the business. Independent industry reporting has also described his role in Salomon’s brand acceleration and its expansion beyond traditional mountain-sports audiences.

Before joining Salomon, Mellin was global general manager of mountain sports at The North Face. There, he helped redefine the brand’s Summit Series, its pinnacle performance range, and played a leading role in the development of Futurelight fabric technology, the Advanced Mountain Kit and the relaunch of The North Face footwear category. His work also included sustainability initiatives that increased the proportion of recycled content across the company’s products.

Mellin’s time at Salomon is understood to have ended in 2026, after he spent roughly three years leading the brand’s global brand direction. During that period, Salomon continued to broaden its appeal through a combination of technical performance, fashion collaborations and cultural marketing, while retaining its position in trail running and winter sports.

His arrival at Kästle is particularly significant because the brand is already in the middle of a strategic reset. The company says the transformation plan will realign every aspect of the business, from brand positioning and product development to distribution and racing.

Competition is expected to remain central to that strategy. Kästle has been increasingly visible on the FIS World Cup circuit, recording victories in both men’s and women’s speed events in recent years. For the Austrian manufacturer, racing provides the most visible expression of its ambition to become a leading player in the global ski market, with a best-in-class race programme at the heart of the plan.

Mellin also brings direct experience of the ski industry. His previous work has included Marker, Spyder, DNR and Nordica, while his broader career has taken in outdoor, action-sports and performance brands including Oakley, Callaway, Head, Scott, Black Diamond and Aspen Snowmass.

“Scott has a deep track record in the ski industry,” said Tomáš Němec, owner of ConsilTech. “He understands the nuances of our industry very well. In addition, his credentials in driving larger brands’ product strategy and design innovation will help sharpen our brand and product offering.”

The appointment also has a personal dimension. Mellin is a committed skier who divides his time between Aspen, Colorado, and the French Alps near Annecy. He has been skiing on Kästle equipment giving him an existing connection with the brand and its products.

“Kästle makes the world’s best skis. Period. The opportunity to drive this brand forward is an honour,” Mellin said.

For Kästle, the challenge will be to translate that enthusiasm into sustained international growth without losing the qualities that distinguish the company: Austrian heritage, technical performance, durability and specialist expertise. The brand’s identity is closely tied to ski construction and race development, but its next phase will require it to communicate those strengths more effectively to skiers well beyond the World Cup circuit.

Manufacturing investment will support that effort. At Kästle’s production site in Nové Město na Moravě, in the Czech Republic, the company has made major investments in modern production facilities intended to meet its quality standards and increase its ability to serve a growing customer base.

The creation of the KAB suggests that Kästle’s owners see the next stage as requiring more than individual product launches. The board’s remit—strategy, governance and performance—points to a broader attempt to bring greater structure and accountability to the brand’s expansion.

Mellin’s appointment therefore represents both a leadership addition and a statement of intent. Kästle is betting that a sharper brand proposition, stronger product strategy, international specialist distribution and continued success in elite racing can carry the company from respected Austrian manufacturer to a more prominent force in the global ski market.

Kästle is dedicated to crafting exceptional ski equipment that embodies the spirit of the skiing, empowers athletes to reach new heights, and inspires a lifelong love for the mountains. A passion for skiing is deeply rooted in the company's DNA and will always be our main source of motivation.

Born in Austria, Kästle and its products stand for ultimate performance, quality and durability. At the production site in the Czech winter sports hub of Nové Město na Moravě, massive investments have been made in state-of-the-art production facilities to meet the high quality requirements of Kästle skiers.