Salomon has announced the appointment of Nick Parkinson as its new global brand creative director, bringing two decades of industry experience to the outdoor and performance brand.

In this role, Parkinson will collaborate with Salomon’s executive board and product leadership team to develop and execute a brand creative strategy across all consumer touchpoints, platforms, channels, and regions.

“Nick is a super inspired creative. His global experience in the spaces we want to win was the proof in our hyper-focused selection process. Having interviewed some of the finest creative minds in the industry I am confident that Nick is the needed fuel to realize our objectives across the entire consumer journey,” said Scott Mellin, global chief brand officer, Salomon.

Parkinson has played a key role in repositioning leading running brands and recently led the reactive creative strategy during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Beginning his career as a graphic designer in the UK, he moved to Amsterdam in 2010 as an art director. 

He joins the company from Nike Inc., where he has held various creative leadership roles over a 15-year tenure, including global art director, global design director, and creative director for various categories such as Nike running, Jordan brand, Nike football, and Converse.  

Parkinson added: “I come from a family of engineers and love problem-solving through design. Salomon is at an inflection point where it can progress to the next level by building on its rich heritage of performance and athletes and translate that into the world of culture and sportstyle. I’m excited to help power that through amazing storytelling!”

In November, Salomon appointed Guillaume Meyzenq as CEO, leading the brand as of this year.

Canadian outdoor lifestyle brand Roots has named Canadian NCAA basketball player Toby Fournier as the brand’s first female ambassador for its activewear category. 

In this role, Fournier, a freshman at Duke University and reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, will represent Roots Activewear in sport-adjacent marketing content both on and off the court.

Fournier first made headlines at 14 with a viral dunk and soon gained international recognition at the FIBA World Basketball Summit. A 6-foot-2 power forward, she ranked 10th in ESPN’s Class of 2024. She has represented Canada on the international stage, earning a bronze medal at the U19 Women’s FIBA World Cup.

“Toby embodies the spirit of Roots: passion, resilience and an unwavering commitment to excellence. She is a true rising star in the world of women’s basketball, and as a brand that has always celebrated athletics, we are thrilled to have her join the Roots family,” said Leslie Golts, chief marketing officer at Roots.

“Through this partnership, we aim to inspire young athletes across Canada and beyond and share with more people the high-quality and thoughtfully crafted breadth of our activewear products.”

The partnership underscores Roots’ commitment to supporting emerging female athletes and expanding the reach of its high-performance activewear. It also builds on the company’s recent collaboration with the WNBA, allowing Roots to continue to play a key role in outfitting athletes with sport-inspired apparel and leather goods.

Fournier added: “I’ve been wearing Roots since I was a kid, and it’s always been a brand that stands for quality, comfort, and style. For me, Roots represents authenticity and the freedom to move without limits. As I push myself to new heights in basketball, I’m honoured to align with a brand that values both innovation and purpose. I’m so excited to share this journey with the Roots community!”