Emerald announced today that Sean Smith, Executive Director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA), is joining the company’s Elastic Suite Division as Director of Community Engagement. The addition of Smith reinforces the company’s strategy to further strengthen Elastic’s leadership position as the most preferred B2B platform among manufacturers and retailers. Smith’s depth of experience and stellar reputation as an industry veteran serving numerous global brands makes him a natural fit with Emerald’s team focused on making Elastic the industry-standard wholesale ecommerce technology.
“Universal access and adoption of Elastic is central to our vision of creating a single platform, multi-brand and cross-product wholesale purchasing experience for retailers. Sean will play a key role to help achieve this vision across numerous manufacturing verticals and specialty retail segments, similar to what we have already accomplished within the surf and outdoor industries where Elastic is far and away the B2B platform of choice.”
-Josh Reddin, Emerald EVP, Elastic Suite
Smith comes to Emerald with more than 20 years of surf industry experience where he led business development, sustainability, member education and brand-to-retailer initiatives at SIMA. He will now be leveraging his considerable talents and relationships to help both brands and retailers maximize the benefits of the Elastic wholesale ecommerce platform.
The trend toward universal adoption of Elastic is transforming B2B ecommerce through single platform usage among brands and retailers by eliminating the requirement for buyers to access their supplier brands through multiple wholesale purchasing solutions. Strong marketplace preference for Elastic is driven by its ability to help manufacturers, retailers and distributors adopt a more sustainable B2B sales process while achieving efficiency-driven cost savings and incremental sales growth. Sustainability and cost savings come through streamlined order entry, digital catalogs, resource optimization and inventory management. Increased sales revenues come through brand-specific retailer applications, sales rep tools, strategic sales planning, digital merchandising, product customization and assortment planning tools.
Emerald’s B2B technology serves clients representing hundreds of the world’s largest and most iconic brands in the outdoor, surf, cycling, sporting goods, apparel, lifestyle and footwear industries. Selected brands served include: The North Face, Patagonia, K2, Rip Curl, Active Brands, Volcom, Shimano, Scott Sports, New Balance, Boardriders, Puma, Reebok/CCM, O’Neill, Burton and Vans.
