Polartec has appointed Gary Smith as chief executive and Joe Robinson as chief financial officer, completing a management succession process announced in July. Smith, 49, is to succeed the current chief executive, Andrew J. Vecchione, as of Nov. 1. An expert in the outdoor and apparel industries, Smith previously served as president of Timberland's outdoor group and as a partner of McKinsey & Company. Robinson, 46, joins Polartec after serving most recently as vice president of corporate finance for Ventiv Health. He was previously vice president of global finance and vice president of finance for North America at Converse. Smith and Robinson will form Polartec's new senior leadership team alongside Jon Adelman, Polartec's current executive vice president of global sales and marketing. Polartec is owned since 2007 by Versa Capital Management, a Philadelphia-based investment firm. In the U.S., PrimaLoft has appointed Sue Rechner to its board of directors with immediate effect. Rechner, who is the president and chief executive of Confluence Watersports, additionally serves on the board of directors for the Outdoor Industry Association, the Outdoor Foundation and Montana Silversmiths. She has held leading positions in the outdoor industry and the luxury goods market for many years, earning a reputation as a strategist and a brand-builder. She has served on the executive teams of Victorinox Swiss Army, Movado Group, Seiko Corporation of America and Citizen Watch Company.

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