Vaikobi Ocean Performance appoints Bryan Stewart

Emerging Australian watersports clothing brand Vaikobi Ocean Performance, announces the appointment of Bryan Stewart as International Sales and Marketing Manager.

Prior to this newly created role, Stewart has worked for a number of major sailing and marine brands including Gill Marine, where he became Director of Sales and Marketing, after playing a critical role in the evolution of the Gill brand for over 14 years. He has also held roles with other UK based marine brands such, Typhoon, Sola Wetsuits and Body Glove.

“I am incredibly excited to be working with the Vaikobi team,” says Stewart. “Vaikobi is a young and vibrant brand that is developing into a serious player in the global water sports market, so I am very much looking forward to adding my experience to help the brand continue on this growth path.”

The addition of Stewart to the Vaikobi team comes at an important time for the company. Established in 2013, by Founder and ex Zhik Global Sales Manager Pat Langley, Vaikobi has built a strong following in the global paddling market and is currently sold in 21 countries around the world. 

In 2019, Vaikobi launched its new collection of technical sailing gear, which enjoyed strong sales during the Australian summer and is said to have received good reviews from sailors and retailers alike. With Covid-19 putting a dampener on the 2020 Northern Hemisphere season, Vaikobi will now be launching an expanded technical sailing gear range in October this year ready for next season.

Langley comments: “We feel extremely fortunate to be able to welcome Bryan to our team to head up International Sales and Marketing for Vaikobi. Bryan’s vast experience that he brings to our team will be extremely important as Vaikobi takes these next big steps forward and the timing of his entry to our business could not be any better.”

Based in the UK, Stewart will manage the international dealer network and specifically the all-important European market effective immediately.