Speedo USA in Cypress promoted John Graham to role of president.
He replaces Jim Gerson, who left in May and has not taken on another job, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Graham, who was senior vice president of sales, joined Speedo in July 2015. He served in a similar role at Quiksilver Inc. in Huntington Beach since 2013, and at Bell Sports in Van Nuys from 2011 to 2013. He also spent 18 years at Nike Inc., including stints as commercial director for Nike Action Sports division and director of apparel sales for North America region.
“Speedo is one of the most respected brands in the industry, deeply rooted in its heritage but poised for continued success in and around the water, and in the marketplace,” Graham said in a statement. “I am honored to lead Speedo USA and look forward to what’s ahead.”
The swimwear and accessories manufacturer is part of New York-based PVH Corp.’s Heritage Brands, which includes the Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Warner’s and Olga labels. The group’s revenue in fiscal 2015 was $1.72 billion, to which Speedo contributed more than 10%, according to the Business Journal’s estimate.
PVH, which has a market value of about $7.9 billion, got a license to sell Speedo products in North America as part of a deal to acquire Warnaco Group Inc. in 2013 for approximately $3 billion.
Speedo, which moved its headquarters to Cypress from Los Angeles in 2015, also competes with local swimwear designers and manufacturers, a roster that ranges from Manhattan Beachwear Inc., also in Cypress, to Raj Swim in Tustin, and Irvine-based Beach Bunny Swimwear and L*Space by Monica Wise in Newport Beach.
