Kontoor Brands Appoints New Global Business Head for Helly Hansen

Kontoor closes Helly Hansen’s top management. The U.S. company has announced the promotion of Børre Hegbom as senior vice president and global head of the Norwegian outdoor fashion company, which it acquired last June for a total of $900 million. With this acquisition, the group managed to rebound its results at the close of the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Hegbom, who joined the company in 2013, will be responsible for leading the execution of the strategic plan to drive the company’s growth following the acquisition of Kontoor, overseeing both the sports and workwear lines. Hegbom will report to Scott Baxter, president and CEO of Kontoor Brands.

The U.S. company sealed diversification into new markets and products with the Helly Hansen acquisition, as well as changing the group’s 2025 forecast, which it increased “immediately” thanks to the Norwegian company. Kontoor closed a weak first quarter, with a 1% decline in sales and a 28% drop in net income.

Kontoor Brands managed to increase forecasts at the end of the first quarter of the year, with a profit of $116.7 million 

Kontoor Brands achieved its goal with the acquisition of Helly Hansen and boosted its results at the end of the first half of 2025, increasing its turnover by 3.4% to $1.28 billion compared to the same period in 2024. The group’s profit increased even more, up 5% to $116.7 million, compared to $111.2 million the previous year.

Børre Hegbom, who has been with the Norwegian company for more than 20 years, will take up the position of senior vice president and global head with immediate effect. Hegbom was recruited by Helly Hansen in 2013 as director of sales and exports in Europe, until, two years later, he was promoted to global sales director, a position he held until 2020. For the past five years, Hembom has been responsible for the general and administrative management of the sports division globally.

The physical education graduate from the Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences took his first steps at Champions as the group’s Norwegian sales representative in 1996. After a year in the position, he was recruited by Nike, where he served as sales and account manager for seven years, from 1997 to 2004.