Salomon announces departure of CEO Franco Fogliato

The recently listed Amer Sports group has announced the departure of the CEO of one of its leading brands. Franco Fogliato, who was named CEO of Salomon two and a half years ago, is no longer in charge of the French outdoor sport brand specialised in skiing and trail running.

Amer Sports gave the news in a brief message to investors on April 12, indicating that Fogliato is leaving the company for “personal reasons.” Fogliato’s departure comes at a special time for Salomon, founded in 1947 and based in Annecy, in the French Alps. Amer Sports stated that in 2023 the brand’s revenue grew by 22% over the previous year, and Salomon is about to open two stores in Paris, one of them a 1,200-square-metre flagship on the Champs-Elysées, ahead of the Summer Olympics.

Salomon is indeed enjoying an Olympic boost, as it is also a partner of the Winter Games that will be held in Milan and Cortina, Italy, in 2026. The brand is keen to make its mark on this summer’s Paris Games too, and has broadened its range of road running shoes by introducing the Phantasm 2 model. But Salomon has an opportunity in the lifestyle segment too. Interest in its lifestyle collections is growing, following the visibility coup at last year’s Super Bowl LVII, when Rihanna sported Salomon sneakers for the half-time show.

According to the group, the lifestyle product category topped the brand’s growth charts in 2023, generating sales of €219 million. Besides masterminding Salomon’s commercial success, Fogliato has recently been involved in other major projects, like the deployment of the brand’s new store concept in Annecy, and the development of the Captive ASF 4.0 trainers model, produced at the Chamatex automated footwear factory in France.

The new interiors concept introduced by Salomon at the Annecy store – Salomon

Fogliato was appointed CEO of Salomon in November 2021, and is a recognised expert in the outdoor sports sector. Between 2004 and 2013, he was the CEO Europe of Australian surfing brand Billabong. He then joined US mountain apparel and equipment brand Columbia, where he worked for eight years, latterly as executive vice-president in charge of global omni-channel operations. Amer Sports has not yet designated a successor to Fogliato at Salomon. James Zheng, CEO of Amer Sports, will take charge ad interim of the brand and of the group’s Outdoor Performance division, which includes Salomon, Atomic, Armada and ENVE.

Salomon has thanked Fogliato for his commitment and his successful running of the company, and wished him all the best for his future projects.

In 2023, the Amer Sports group recorded a revenue of $4.37 billion (€4.11 billion), of which €1.67 billion came from the Outdoor Performance division. Salomon generates 55% of its business in the EMEA region, and 26% in the Americas. Footwear accounts for 65% of the brand’s revenue.