Patrick van Soest was appointed buying manager at Bever, the leading Dutch outdoor retailer. For the last 10 years he has been a buyer at Perry Sport, a multi-sports banner owned by the Unlimited Sports Group. He started as buyer of outdoor equipment and footwear, then became outdoor category manager and then switched to the holiday and exploring unit. In the last months the buying job at Bever had been handled among several managers in the Netherlands and Belgium, the seat of A.S. Adventure, the outdoor retail chain that belongs to the same owners as Bever and Cotswold Outdoor in the U.K.The position was previously held by Hans Overduin, who left Bever last May as part of a wider management reshuffle. Spotted at Ispo in Munich and in Beijing, Overduin said he was on an extended sabbatical with no particular plans other than indulging his interest in photography. He firmly denies persistent rumors that he intends to set up a competing Dutch outdoor retail business together with Bever's former chief executive.
