Board of Directors
Robert B. McKnight, Jr.
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
Robert B. McKnight, Jr. was a co-founder of Quiksilver in 1976 served as our President from 1979 through July 1991 and has served as our
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since August 1991. In February 2008, he also was re-appointed as our President. Mr. McKnight
received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
Charles S. Exon
Chief Administrative Officer, Secretary and General Counsel
Charles S. Exon has served as our Chief Administrative Officer since February 11, 2008 and as Secretary and General Counsel since August 2000. Mr. Exon previously served as Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs from August 2000 to February 2008. Prior to joining Quiksilver, Mr. Exon practiced law, the last seven years as a partner with the firm of Hewitt & McGuire, LLP. Mr. Exon received a B.A. degree in English from the University of Missouri, a M.A. degree in Communications from Stanford University and a J.D. degree from the University of Southern California.
Douglas K. Ammerman
Douglas K. Ammerman began his career in 1973 with the public accounting firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell (now KPMG). He was admitted to the KPMG partnership in 1984 and formally retired from KPMG in 2002. Mr. Ammerman is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Masters Degree in Business Taxation from the University of Southern California. Mr. Ammerman currently serves on the board of directors and is chairman of the audit committee of Fidelity National Financial, Inc., a title insurance company. He also serves on the board of directors of two privately-held companies, El Pollo Loco and William Lyon Homes.
William M. Barnum, Jr.
William M. Barnum, Jr. currently serves as a director of several private companies, and has been a Managing Member of Brentwood Associates, a Los Angeles based venture capital and private equity investment firm since 1986. Prior to that, Mr. Barnum held several positions at Morgan Stanley & Co. Mr. Barnum graduated from Stanford University in 1976 with a B.A. in Economics and from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Law School in 1981 with M.B.A. and J.D. degrees. Mr. Barnum also serves on the board of directors of Zumiez, Inc., an action sports specialty retailer.
James Ellis
Mr. Ellis is the Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He began his professional career within the Carter Hawley Hale Stores organization, over a number of years rising to the position of Vice President, Merchandising, for the Broadway Department Store chain. Later in his career, Mr. Ellis became president and Chief Executive Officer of American Porsche Design and he has been involved in a number of other entrepreneurial ventures. These opportunities included leadership roles in several apparel manufacturers and action-sports related companies. In 1997, Mr. Ellis joined the faculty of the University of Southern California as a Professor in the Department of Marketing. More recently, Mr. Ellis was Vice Provost, Globalization, responsible for building and enhancing the USC brand internationally. Mr. Ellis holds a BBA degree from the University of New Mexico and earned an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School.
M. Steven Langman
M. Steven Langman co-founded Rhône, a private equity firm, in 1996 and since that time has served as Managing Director. Prior to 1996, Mr. Langman was Managing Director of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions, working in both London and New York. Mr. Langman joined Lazard in 1987. Before joining Lazard, he worked in the mergers and acquisition group of Goldman, Sachs & Co. Mr. Langman currently serves on the boards of several private companies controlled by Rhône. Mr. Langman received a B.A. with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MSc from the London School of Economics.
Robert L. Mettler
Robert L. Mettler held various executive positions at Macy's, Inc. between 2000 and his retirement in January 2009. From 2000 to 2002 he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Macy's West, and from 2002 to 2008, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Macy's West. Most recently, Mr. Mettler was the President of Special Projects at Macy's, Inc. between 2008 and his retirement in 2009. Prior to joining Macy's, Mr. Mettler held various executive positions in the retail industry, including President of Merchandising - Full Line Stores of Sears, Roebuck and Co. from 1996 to 2000, President of Apparel and Home Fashions of Sears from 1993 to 1996, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Robinson's May Company from 1987 to 1993. Mr. Mettler graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. degree in economics. Mr. Mettler also serves on the Board of Directors of Jones Apparel Group, Inc. and Stein Mart, Inc.
Paul C. Speaker
Paul C. Speaker has served as the President of Time Inc. Studios, a film, television and video studio owned by Time Inc., since 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Speaker served as President of RKO Pictures, a film production and distribution company since 2003 and from 1998 to 2000, as President of The Shooting Gallery, an independent entertainment company. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Speaker was the Director of Marketing and Ideas for the National Football League.
Andrew W. Sweet
Andrew W. Sweet is a Managing Director of Rhône, a private equity firm, which he joined in 1996. Prior to joining Rhône, he worked in the mergers and acquisitions group of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC. Mr. Sweet serves on the boards of several private companies controlled by Rhône and of Magnesita Refratarios S.A., a leading global refractory producer listed on the Bovespa. He graduated from Colgate University in 1993.