The European Outdoor Group(EOG) has announced the appointment of experienced outdoor industry professionalChristian Schneidermeier as its new director. Schneidermeier left his role as CEO of German brand ORTOVOX  in November and will join the EOG in March 2025, leading the association’s executive team and reporting to the EOG board.

The European Outdoor Group now has a membership of over 140 brands, retailers, technology brands, national associations and other organisations in the value chain. The association represents and promotes the interests of the outdoor sector, underpinned by a commitment to collaboration on major pre-competitive issues that face all businesses. The EOG’s programme is underpinned by three pillars: Doing business right; preserving the outdoors; and getting people active outdoors. On behalf of its members and the wider industry, the association leads on, or contributes to, a range of major projects in areas such as CSR and sustainability, market insights, events, and public affairs. The work is undertaken by a core executive team, and in cooperation with external partners and stakeholders.

Christian Schneidermeier has been working in the outdoor and sporting goods industry for 25 years. From 2011 until November 2024, he was CEO of ORTOVOX, a German brand that specialises in alpine sports. In addition, since November 2020, Schneidermeier has been deputy chair of the outdoor segment and member of the board of directors of the German Sporting Goods Industry Association (BSI). He has also sat on the corporate social responsibility committee of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CCI) forMunich and Upper Bavaria in a voluntary capacity since 2018, and been a member of the CCI General Assembly since 2021. Schneidermeier is a passionate mountaineer and ski tourer, and has a keen interest in everything to do with sustainability and social development. A committed European, he is married with two grown-up daughters.

As the EOG’s new director,Christian Schneidermeier will oversee the development and delivery of the association’s programme of activity. Schneidermeier will lead the executive team of eight, working closely with the EOG president and EOG board, and he will also represent the EOG to external organisations,.

Christian Schneidermeier comments:

“I am very much looking forward to formally joining the European Outdoor Group team. This is an organisation that is already very familiar tome. As the leader of an EOG member company, I’ve witnessed close at hand how the association has developed and grown, and I fully appreciate the role that it plays in uniting our industry. We should never underestimate the importance of that. The spirit of collaboration that is the founding principle of the EOG has enabled the European outdoor sector to show true leadership on a global scale, on some of the issues that matter most. In an era that has been characterised by relentless, accelerating change, sustained uncertainty, and, at times, existential challenges, the EOG has consistently provided the leadership and continuity that its members and the wider industry need. That’s why its membership has grown from 19 to over 140. The work that the EOG does is now more vital than ever and the organisation can become the collaborative platform that helps the sector achieve profitable business within the planetary boundaries. I am honoured to be joining and leading a great team early next year.”

Current managing director Scott Nelson will continue to lead the EOG team and will oversee the transition to the new arrangements in March 2025, before leaving the organisation.

EOG president Matt Gowar comments:

“This is the back end of a plan set in motion early this year. Scotthas been involved, both in creating and enacting this strategy, and we are very pleased to see the final elements now dropping into place with Christian’s appointment. All said, we see a very bright future for the EOG, where it moves into a new chapter with a strong executive leadership, a robust programme for the industry and its members, and a bold new grouping of board members. This is only the beginning and we have many more announcements to come, and we thankScott for his skilled management of a very complex transition.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Christian Schneidermeier to the EOG team. Of course, we already know each other well, and his track record speaks for itself. The fact that the association has been able to attract a candidate of Christian’s calibre to this new position is testament to the standing of the EOG, and the importance of our role in this industry. We have a talented and committed executive team, who will thrive under Christian’s leadership. There is much to look forward to in 2025 and beyond.”

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