Billabong Leadership Update Under New Licensee O5 Apparel

Billabong has a new home with O5 Apparel, which also has the license for Quiksilver, after owner Authentic Brands Group pulled the licenses for Billabong, RVCA, and Volcom from Liberated Brands.

SESO asked Ryan Mangan, O5 Apparel senior vice president of action sports who is also the general manager of Quiksilver, to fill us in on how the new team and strategy are shaping up.

How many people has O5 hired to work on the Billabong brand?

O5 Apparel SVP of Action Sports Ryan Mangan: We brought 65 full-time employees over from Liberated, and offered positions to all 20 Billabong reps.

As we transition the brand fully to 05 Apparel Group (from Liberated Brands), we’ll continue to benchmark ourselves against best-in-class companies and further evaluate our progress. We will bring on additional talent as needed.

Between Quiksilver and Billabong, 05 Apparel Group now has approximately 115 employees and 35 reps servicing the business.

What types of job functions came over?  

Ryan Mangan: All the key functional areas are covered. Men’s and women’s design, product development, merchandising, fit technicians, sales, marketing, e-commerce, planning, customer service, IT, accounts receivable, and leadership. We’ll be looking to take advantage of O5 Apparel Group’s operational expertise in supply chain management inclusive of sourcing, production, and logistics.

Who will be the Billabong GM and who will that person report to? 

Ryan Mangan: We’re thrilled to announce that Kelly Normandin will be the Billabong GM. Kelly brings over 17 years of leadership experience from Liberated Brands and is highly respected by Billabong employees and accounts. Kelly will report to me.

We’re also stoked to have Fluer Boys and Chris Schulstad leading women’s and men’s design, respectively. Risto Scott will continue driving specialty sales, Lindsey Roach will head up marketing, and Keanu Asing will be leading sports marketing. We’ve assembled a best-in-class team, and we’re excited for the future.

Was 05 able to purchase spring inventory from Liberated or from factories? Will 05 be shipping any spring inventory?  

Ryan Mangan: While 05 isn’t responsible for shipping the Spring ’25 line, we’re laser-focused on securing Summer ’25 goods and making sure they’re shipped on time and in full.

Are there any changes or additions to Billabong’s athlete roster?  

Ryan Mangan: In partnership with Authentic, we’re stoked to announce that we plan to re-sign every Billabong athlete. Contracts are going out as we speak. Our world-class roster will include world title contenders Ethan Ewing and Luana Silva, world junior champ Bronson Meydi, and big wave world record holder Laura Enever. And of course, we’ll continue to support icons like Occy (Mark Occhilupo), Shane Dorian, and Parko (Joel Parkinson) – they’re part of the Billabong DNA.

Finally, we will continue to support the Andy Irons Foundation that is dedicated to preserving Andy’s legacy while giving back to underprivileged youth.

Billabong athlete Luana Silva surfing with kids to benefit the Andy Irons Foundation. Photo courtesy of Billabong.

Are there any plans to further differentiate Billabong and Quiksilver when it comes to product and distribution strategies?

Ryan Mangan: O5 Apparel has signed long-term agreements for both brands. We absolutely believe that a strong rivalry between Billabong and Quiksilver is good for the industry.

When these brands push each other, it leads to better products and more compelling stories, which ultimately benefits both surfers and retailers.

For Billabong, our distribution strategy remains laser-focused on core surf shops and specialty retailers. We’re also excited to announce that we will be taking over both Quiksilver.com and Billabong.com in the very near future. Our strategy is simple: We will run a premium, full-price website for both brands.

Where will the Billabong crew work?

Ryan Mangan: We’ve just signed a lease on an 18,000-square-foot space in the Irvine Research Park near our existing office in Costa Mesa, California. Come by and say aloha!