Today Xcel Wetsuits announced the hire of Johnny Gothard to head their growing e-commerce business in the U.S. and in international markets.
Most recently the director of e-commerce at Rip Curl, Johnny has over a decade of experience in the digital space, having also worked at Celtek and Surfline.
Said Xcel’s Chief Marketing Officer Ian Stewart, “We are seeing incredible growth across all of our digital channels so it’s perfect timing to bring a surf industry heavyweight into the mix to help us continue to scale. Johnny will guide our e-comm growth in the U.S. and in key markets around the world.”
Johnny Gothard added, “The chance to join a core surf brand like Xcel is super exciting, particularly as they kick off aggressive plans to scale their digital presence. I couldn’t be more stoked.”
Despite the turmoil in the marketplace, Xcel has had a bumper year with e-commerce. Alongside growing digital sales, the brand has built a new team of athletes that includes Sage Erickson, Sally Cohen, Shaun Manners, Zeke Lau, and Matt “Archy” Archbold; forged partnerships with Surfline and Stab Magazine to better connect with core surfers; and announced a commitment to being neoprene free.
About Xcel Wetsuits
Ed D’Ascoli founded Xcel in 1982, working from the bedroom of his Sunset Beach house. D’Ascoli found no shortage of inspiration from the world-class performances on display at his doorstep; and the opportunity to create and to connect high-performance products with the athletes who demanded them was irresistible. Xcel’s passionate focus on product development would become the defining characteristic of the brand. Xcel has been voted Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) “Wetsuit of the Year” by its industry peers five times (2007, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019) and “Accessory of the Year” in 2012.
Xcel Wetsuits is owned by Wedge Brands.
