Schneidermeier, who previously served as CEO of the German brand ORTOVOX until November 2024, will officially join the EOG in March 2025. In his new role, he will lead the executive team and report directly to the EOG board.
In his position as director, Schneidermeier will be responsible for managing the association’s activities and initiatives. He will oversee a team of eight executives and collaborate closely with the EOG president and board members. Additionally, he will represent the EOG in interactions with external organisations.
The EOG currently comprises over 140 members, including brands, retailers, technology companies, national associations, and other stakeholders within the outdoor value chain. The organisation advocates for the interests of the outdoor industry while emphasising collaboration on key pre-competitive challenges that affect all businesses.
The association’s activities are structured around three main areas: ethical business practices, environmental preservation, and encouraging outdoor participation. It engages in various projects related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, market research, events, and public affairs via its core executive team and partnerships with external stakeholders.
With 25 years of experience in the outdoor and sporting goods sector, Schneidermeier has a significant background in this field. He served as CEO of ORTOVOX from 2011 until November 2024. Furthermore, since November 2020, he has served as deputy chair of the outdoor segment and is a member of the board of directors for the German Sporting Goods Industry Association (BSI).
He has also been involved with the corporate social responsibility committee of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CCI) for Munich and Upper Bavaria since 2018 and became a member of the CCI General Assembly in 2021.
Christian Schneidermeier said: “I am very much looking forward to formally joining the European Outdoor Group team. This is an organisation that is already very familiar to me. As the leader of an EOG member company, I’ve witnessed close at hand how the association has developed and grown, and I fully appreciate the role that it plays in uniting our industry.
“We should never underestimate the importance of that. The spirit of collaboration that is the founding principle of the EOG has enabled the European outdoor sector to show true leadership on a global scale, on some of the issues that matter most.
The work that the EOG does is now more vital than ever and the organisation can become the collaborative platform that helps the sector achieve profitable business within the planetary boundaries. I am honoured to be joining and leading a great team early next year.”
Scott Nelson, the current managing director, will continue to lead the EOG team during the transition period until March 2025 before departing from the organisation.
EOG president Matt Gowar said: “This is the back end of a plan set in motion early this year. Scott has been involved, both in creating and enacting this strategy, and we are very pleased to see the final elements now dropping into place with Christian’s appointment. All said, we see a very bright future for the EOG, where it moves into a new chapter with a strong executive leadership, a robust programme for the industry and its members, and a bold new grouping of board members. This is only the beginning and we have many more announcements to come, and we thank Scott for his skilled management of a very complex transition.
Last month, EOG teamed up with Fair Wear, a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving garment workers' rights and conditions, to drive positive, lasting change for workers throughout the outdoor apparel supply chain by harnessing the combined influence of both organisations.
