Clockwise from top left, Jay Black, Diego de Castro, Julie Barton and Martijn van Eerd.

LAHAINA, Hawaii—Following the company’s rapid growth in the optical sector, Maui Jim has announced that four key internal leaders have been elevated. Maui Jim launched optical in 2018, and has seen a significant increase in sales across multiple countries as a result. The company now plans to expand the optical collection across three new regions in 2020—Italy, Greece and Belgium—and to debut over 30 new optical styles this year. These four elevations will support this growth. Maui Jim’s new marketing leadership team will focus on raising brand awareness across international markets.

The new elevations are:

• Jay Black, who has been with Maui Jim since 2013 and played an instrumental role in transforming the brand’s global marketing and activation strategies, has been elevated to chief sales and marketing officer. Black will now manage all areas of Maui Jim’s marketing and sales, overseeing new promotional and strategic programs to further elevate the brand’s distribution and awareness.

• Diego de Castro, formerly Maui Jim’s global brand strategy director, who was responsible for leading global strategy for the sun category over the past two years, has been elevated to senior director of brand marketing and management. De Castro will oversee Maui Jim’s marketing strategy in the sun and optical categories on a global level.

• Julie Barton, one of the longest-tenured employees in the marketing department at over 23 years, has consistently leveraged Maui Jim’s marketing efforts to fit the ever-evolving retail environment. Barton has been promoted to senior director of marketing, the Americas, and will continue to elevate the brand’s presence and awareness in one of its biggest markets.

• Martijn van Eerde, formerly the director of marketing for Europe, has continued to utilize his visionary skill set to strengthen Maui Jim’s awareness globally, during his 13-year tenure at the company. Van Eerde has been elevated to senior director of marketing, EMEA & APAC (Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific) and will expand his impactful programs and strategies across various international markets.

Mike Dalton, chief operating officer at Maui Jim said, “Maui Jim’s major growth within the optical category is due to our internal team’s continued success and dedication to growing the brand’s presence. By putting the right people in the right seats, we are able to evolve and expand the brand, making us better as a company. These elevated leaders will spearhead strategy for national and global marketing initiatives, further amplifying Maui Jim within the eyewear space as a whole.”