Pentland names new Berghaus brand director as outdoor brand grows

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 4, 2021

Berghaus has a new global brand director with Pentland Brands on Tuesday announcing the appointment of Charlie Pym to the role.

He’ll be responsible for the global product and marketing for the outdoor brand and said “it's never been a better time for Berghaus, given the major shifts we're seeing in the outdoor sector and beyond, so it's a pivotal time to shape the brand's future.”

It’s been a busy few months for Berghaus with Pym’s predecessor moving to another Pentland role late last year and the recent arrival of Janine Hearn as global head of brand. Hearn previously managed teams and projects across Europe for Vans EMEA. She’ll report to the new global brand director.

Pym replaces Kev McFadyen, who Pentland Brands named global brand director for its Speedo brand back in November. During his time, Berghaus saw a transformation of its brand strategy that led to the development of new product ranges and expansion into new markets. 

The brand is focused on a major long-term project to “develop the next generation of ground-breaking products” for the specialist outdoor sector through its Extrem range. Alongside this, the company is also expanding its outdoor lifestyle offer, “reflecting the increasing appeal of the sector among wider consumer audiences”.

So Pym clearly he has a lot to live up to and a big job on his hands. But he has a powerful track record so far. He joins with a strong sports background that’s been focused on cycling. He was marketing director of McLaren’s Pro Cycling programme, which launched Team Bahrain McLaren, and had also been director of communications at Rapha. 

But sports isn’t his only speciality and he was previously managing partner, and member of the global leadership board, at Saatchi & Saatchi. While there, “he led multi-disciplined teams encompassing consumer insights, brand strategy, communications planning and digital design”. He’s also worked for M&C Saatchi in London and Publicis Worldwide in Melbourne “and has been responsible for building global brand campaigns for clients across the banking, insurance, FMCG and tourism sectors”.

Penny Herriman, chief marketing officer at Pentland Brands, said: “It's a really exciting time for Berghaus as more and more people have embraced the great outdoors. Charlie has a track record in being highly creative and innovative, often disrupting sectors to drive growth.”