The Billabong Group is announcing some big news this afternoon – Volcom Americas President Kevin Meehan is the new Global GM of RVCA.
Kevin, who is very well liked and has a great reputation for integrity in the industry, will join RVCA in mid-April.
He is replacing Bill Bettencourt, who has taken a new job with a footwear company, which is where most of his experience comes from. The name of the company Bill is joining has not yet been disclosed.
RVCA is a key focus and component of Billabong’s growth plan. The brand has barely scratched the surface of its potential globally and continues to perform strongly in many regions of the U.S. While Volcom is a bigger brand, RVCA is quite competitive with Volcom in certain territories.
Kevin has also worked at Burton and Hurley, in addition to overseeing action sports magazines in publishing roles.
“Kevin has deep roots and a strong reputation in this industry, as well as an extensive background in brand building, content and media,” said Billabong Group CEO Neil Fiske said in a statement.
“RVCA is one of the most unique brands in actions sports and has tremendous global potential. Kevin will be working closely with brand founder Pat Tenore to build on RVCA’s authentic positioning in art, surf, skate and sport around the world.”
I reached out to Volcom today, to see if they would be filling Kevin’s role as President, Americas. Volcom created the role of President of North America when Kevin joined the company in 2013, according to the SES archives. Kevin’s role was later expanded to include all of the Americas.
CEO Todd Hymel said they would not be replacing Kevin’s job, and that he would be absorbing Kevin’s duties for now, and will decide at some point in the future how to reallocate some of the responsibilities.
Todd said it was an amicable departure and everyone at Volcom is happy for Kevin.
“Everybody loves Kevin here, and we’re happy for him personally and professionally,” Todd said. “It’s a more global role, and it’s a good career step for him.”
Bill Bettencourt will help work with Kevin on the handover. Neil praised Bill’s work; especially notable was the improvement in operational processes at RVCA.
A key advantage for Kevin going forward is that he already knows a lot of the RVCA team, including RVCA Founder Pat Tenore.
In a statement, Kevin said RVCA’s authenticity allowed it to connect deeply with a cross-section of youth sub-cultures in a meaningful and real way.
“It’s also incredible how the creative energy of the brand syncs so well with its products to deliver a cohesive experience,” he said. “The potential for the brand is enormous and I’m really looking forward to working with Pat, the team, and our retail partners around the world.”
