Mountain-footwear brand Scarpa has appointed Jonathan Degenhardt as its new North American CEO, following the retirement of 20-year veteran Kim Miller.

Hailing from the Dolomites in Italy, Scarpa has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. It officially established its North American division in 2005.

“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,” Sandro Parisotto, chairman of Scarpa, said. 

Degenhardt’s appointment to the position is joined by the promotion of Mark Matthews to chief commercial officer, and Joe Higby to VP of finance and operations. 

“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.

“Jonathan’s combination of experience and business acumen is really what made him the right candidate for this job. 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 that Scarpa is “a category and a brand I love”. 

“Everything about the brand speaks to me — heritage, quality, performance, sustainability, innovation,” he added. “My first climbing shoes were Scarpa, my first ski boots were Scarpa, so it really feels like coming home.”

Joining from sporting goods manufacturer Deuter, where he served as MD, Degenhardt will begin his responsibilities in mid-April.