Executive profile

Kim Scholze | Executive Profile

With more than 30 years of experience in the global sports, outdoor and textile industry, I combine deep domain expertise with high-impact leadership in business development, sustainability transformation, brand building, and executive sales. I am currently the CEO of Sympatex Technologies, leading one of Europe’s most recognized membrane and textile innovation companies through a multi-layered strategic and organizational transformation.

I grew up in the world of board sports — I have been snowboarding since the early days of the sport, skiing since I could walk, and fell in love with windsurfing and surfing early on. This passion shaped my career as much as my work ethic. My first professional chapter included university lecturing in skiing, winter sports and water sports, combined with journalistic work that allowed me to translate my enthusiasm for mountains, motion and culture into storytelling and industry visibility.

Career Growth & Industry Impact

I learned the fundamentals of product, retail and brand value from the ground up — working with iconic brands such as Salomon, Nitro Snowboards and Bench, combining marketing, sales, and brand strategy into one integrated approach. My career has always followed one red thread:
connecting brands, people, and purpose – and transforming industries through collaboration and narrative power.

In 2010, I founded Brands for Good, creating one of the early platforms that made sustainability and systemic change visible and accessible for the entire industry. The initiative served brands, retailers and media alike — and became a nucleus for the sustainability transformation that is now reshaping the global sports and outdoor ecosystem.

For six years, I significantly shaped the sustainability and brand-transformation strategy at ISPO Munich / Messe München. I co-developed new platform formats, impact-driven content strategies, community-based engagement models and led the shift toward a more purpose- and future-oriented trade show ecosystem.

Public Presence & Industry Influence

As a podcaster, moderator and keynote speaker, I host Spuzziness, collaborate closely with leaders from the Scandinavian Outdoor Group, EOG, OIA and many global brands, and bring forward honest, future-focused conversations about purpose, leadership, sustainability and industry transformation.

My reputation is built on transparency, courage, enthusiasm and connection. I am a networker, storyteller, strategist and relationship-builder — deeply committed to shaping a more sustainable, innovative and human outdoor industry.

CEO, Sympatex Technologies (present)

As the current CEO of Sympatex Technologies, I am responsible for:

Full P&L ownership and strategic transformation
Revenue growth, global business development & key-account expansion
Orchestrating the restructuring of Apparel, Footwear, and Corporate/Workwear divisions
Leading cross-functional teams across Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Product, Finance and Operations
Implementing new leadership structures, governance frameworks and KPI-based decision systems
Driving the company’s transition toward PFAS-free innovation, circularity, fiber-to-fiber systems and scalable sustainability strategies

I lead Sympatex through a complex change journey, rebuilding culture, process excellence and strategic clarity. My work includes the design of new organizational models, transparent communication structures, cross-functional task forces and a transformation playbook that aligns teams, investors, customers and partners.

Leadership Style & Strategic Strengths

I am known for my high-energy, human-centered, and future-driven leadership. I combine clarity with empathy, and vision with execution. My core skills include:

Executive Leadership & CEO Governance
Global Sales Strategy & Revenue Acceleration
Business Development, Key Account Management & Market Expansion
Organizational Transformation & C-Level Change Management
Sustainability Leadership & Circular Innovation Architecture
Brand Building, Storytelling & Impact Communication
Mentoring, Coaching & People Development across industries
Crisis Leadership, Turnaround Management & Strategic Stabilization
Partnership Building across Europe, Asia and North America
High-stakes communication with investors, boards and external partners

I work data-driven, people-centric, and impact-oriented — always combining operational excellence with strategic foresight.

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