Newport Beach outdoor apparel brand Florence Marine X said Tuesday it brought on Pat O’Connell as president.
O’Connell is the former senior vice president of tours and head competition at the World Surf League. He was also previously vice president of sports marketing for Hurley.
The appointment is effective immediately.
Florence Marine X was created out of a partnership between two-time world surf champion John John Florence and Kandui Holdings LLC, also of Newport Beach.
Kandui was started by various members of the Hurley family, including Hurley founder Bob Hurley, with Kandui serving as a vehicle to either buy or partner with brands.
Other members of Kandui’s founding team include CEO Jeff Hurley, Ryan Hurley and brother-in-law Chance King.
Kandui, which was revealed to the market last year, came out of the gate with its purchase of Simple Shoes LLC and the announcement of new brand Florence Marine X, which is expected to debut with its spring 2021 collection.
The Hurley family left their namesake brand in 2019 after New York-based Bluestar Alliance LLC closed on its acquisition of the business from Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE).
