—— This press release was provided by Astral ——
Asheville, NC – As Astral continues to grow at an increasingly fluid speed, they realized they needed the right person to lead the brand into the next chapter. Sales and marketing experience just scratched the surface of position requirements. Astral needed a bold personality, someone who knows the industry and has the confidence to maneuver it as they would a class V rapid. They needed someone who understands Astral’s authentic mantra and consistent determination to push boundaries of design and innovations. Enter long-time industry sales rep and marketing maven, Christie Dobson.
Dobson will be an intricate part of the team, guiding Astral through a new phase of growth and development. Her experience, both in and out of the water, will be a tremendous asset. Additionally, providing a female prospective will offer Astral a competitive edge as there are few females in leadership roles in the Paddlesports industry and female participation in water sports, specifically kayaking and stand up paddling, is on the rise.
She joins Astral following 8 years at Patagonia where she was a top-producing sales rep servicing the highly-coveted Northern California territory. Prior to her position with Patagonia, she served as Director of Marketing for Werner Paddles. Dobson’s history with Astral CEO and Founder, Philip Curry, goes back over 15 years. Beyond knowing one and other is the paddling circles, Dobson served as Field Marketing Manager for Lotus Designs, Curry’s first successful PFD manufacturing business.
“Christie was an easy choice,” says Astral CEO and director of R&D, Philip Curry. “Her experience working with a leading apparel brand like Patagonia meshes perfectly with our growth in the traditional outdoor arena. While her personality – energized, funny, rebellious, intelligent, and ambitious – will seamlessly integrate into Astral’s company culture.”
Dobson grew up in Chattanooga and studied Communications and Graphic Design at the University of Tennessee. It was in the southeast that she was introduced to kayaking, a sport she quickly came to love, one she excelled at and one that awarded her the chance to travel the world to compete and run some of the best rivers.
“I’m very excited to be a part of Astral’s team as we embark on this next chapter,” notes, Dobson. “It’s time to tighten up your chinstrap, it’s about to get rowdy.”
Dobson can be reached at [email protected] and 828.337.2247.
About Astral
Established in 2002, Astral has grown to specialize in high performance outdoor footwear alongside it’s industry-leading safety gear for paddlers. Independently owned and operated with a sincere commitment to making products of the highest performance and style for use in the water, in the woods, or in town. Astral is based in the year-round outdoor wonderland Asheville, NC and has satellite offices in Northern California, Portland, and Saigon.
