Melbourne – September 23, 2026 -- Australian performance brand 2XU has appointed Aaron Brown as Head of Wholesale & Business Development, North America, tasking a two-decade sporting goods veteran with expanding the company's commercial footprint across the United States and Canada.
Brown exits HydraPak's global sales leadership to join 2XU's North American buildout
Brown most recently served as Vice President of Global Sales at HydraPak, overseeing global revenue strategy, sporting goods, run specialty and outdoor retail channels, OEM partnerships and international distribution. Before that, he spent more than ten years at Under Armour, rising to Director of Sales with responsibility for North American commercial strategy across key and specialty accounts, spanning merchandising, go-to-market execution, ecommerce and inventory planning.
Appointment follows two years of foundation-building under CEO Harry Markl
The hire comes roughly two years after 2XU's acquisition led by CEO Harry Markl, a period the company has spent on product innovation, sharpening its performance positioning and strengthening its Australian home market alongside COO/CMO Mathew Hayward. Markl said the North American strategy will prioritize partner quality over rapid scale, stating the brand wants to build the market through product, partners and an authentic performance proposition rather than growth at any cost.
2XU leans on triathlon and compression heritage to expand into running and training
Hayward said the brand's technical credibility in compression and triathlon gives it a foundation many competitors lack, and that the priority now is pairing that heritage with new product innovation to build a stronger commercial presence in North America. Brown's mandate covers strengthening existing retail and specialty partnerships, developing new commercial opportunities, and expanding 2XU's presence across the performance sporting goods market, while working with the brand's athlete and sporting-organization network.
Brown to operate from the U.S. as new North American point of commercial contact
Brown will be based in the United States, working directly with 2XU's global leadership and North American team as the brand's lead on wholesale and strategic business development in the region.