Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs has appointed Andreas Lorenz as chief executive officer, effective immediately, according to an announcement on November 3, 2025. Lorenz succeeds Martin Daniels, who held the position for less than 16 months, having joined Haglöfs as CEO in August 2024. The appointment marks the second leadership change in less than a year for the company under its current private equity ownership and comes as the brand reports strong expansion momentum, particularly in China.
Lorenz was serving as chief commercial officer at Haglöfs before his promotion to the top role. Daniel Tseung, chairman of the board and founder of LionRock Capital, which acquired Haglöfs from ASICS in December 2023, indicated that Daniels and management had differing views on how to evolve the creative and commercial side of the business. However, Tseung praised Daniels' contributions during a period of transformation, noting that initiatives undertaken during his tenure would continue. Tseung stated that with Lorenz, the company has found "an exceptional commercial mind leading the company which is exactly what we require at this stage of our journey," emphasizing that the successor was promoted internally. No external search firm involvement was disclosed.
Lorenz is a German national with more than 25 years of experience in the consumer goods sector. He spent several years at McKinsey and Company as a strategy consultant before moving to corporate roles. He subsequently held leadership positions at Adidas and On Running, two major athletic and outdoor brands. His background in consulting and commercial leadership at premium consumer companies positions him to navigate both the established European markets and emerging opportunities in Asia that are central to LionRock's acquisition thesis.
Haglöfs, founded in 1914 by Swedish carpenter Wiktor Haglöf, designs, develops and sells outdoor clothing, footwear and hardware products across 28 countries. The brand is headquartered in Bromma, Sweden and employs approximately 240 people. Under ASICS ownership since 2010, Haglöfs had established itself as a premium outdoor performance brand with particular strength in the Nordic region. LionRock Capital's acquisition marked a strategic pivot toward European market expansion and unlocking growth opportunities, particularly in Greater China, where the private equity firm has significant expertise and connections.
The leadership transition reflects the intensity of operational change at Haglöfs following the LionRock acquisition and signals potential friction between the previous CEO's vision and the private equity owner's commercial priorities. Daniels' appointment had emphasized innovation and business transformation, but Tseung's public comments suggest the board sought a more operationally focused leader with deeper commercial expertise to accelerate growth and optimize market expansion, particularly as the brand's China rollout is exceeding expectations. Lorenz's internal advancement from chief commercial officer, combined with his track record at scaled consumer brands, indicates LionRock intends to prioritize execution and market development velocity in the coming phase of ownership.
