Billabong focuses on females for turnaround

The surfwear company's hoping for a fresh start with its new Billabong Womens GM.

Justin Loiseau

Justin Loiseau hails from the great united state of North Carolina, where he started his first business at the ripe age of five: melting crayons into candles. With the infamous Crayola Crash of 1994, Justin moved on to study economics and environmental studies as a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina. He has worked in a variety of sectors across the globe, from management consulting to the United Nations, and once spent three months examining invasive snails in Vietnam. Justin discovered The Motley Fool in 2012 and it’s been love ever since. Creativity, contrarianism, kerfuffling… what more could one want? When he’s not playing the Fool, you can find Justin at the University of Auckland, where he is pursuing a Masters in Economics as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Justin finds biogas digesters fascinating and can unicycle a mile in seven minutes.

Published January 7, 2014 2:03 pm AEDT

Billabong (ASX: BBG) announced today that it has appointed industry stalwart Susan Branch as its first Global General Manager for Billabong Womens. The position is a new one for the surfwear, action sports, and apparel company, and signifies a heightened interest in making their brand more female-friendly.

"Consistent with the strategic direction laid out at our recent Annual General Meeting, we're focusing on our big brands," said CEO Neil Fiske in a statement. "We see tremendous growth opportunity for Billabong Womens which is why we've specifically created this role to give it a dedicated focus. Susan is the ideal person to take on the role and we're delighted someone with her level of experience and talent is joining Billabong."

Ms. Branch will assume her position at Billabong this month, leaving her executive position of three years at Roxy/Quicksilver. "I'm joining Billabong at an exciting time as it undertakes its turnaround strategy," Branch noted in a statement. "This is a fantastic brand and I can't wait to begin working with the team as we reenergise and grow Billabong Womens globally."

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