Authentic Brands Group is making another major corporate shift as the company behind DC Shoes, Volcom, Airwalk, Quiksilver, Billabong, RVCA, and Roxy reshapes its leadership team while preparing for further growth across the skate shoe and action lifestyle business.
According to reports, the company announced that Matt Maddox will become the new CEO, taking over daily operations while founder Jamie Salter moves into the role of executive chairman. Salter is not leaving the company and will remain heavily involved, focusing mainly on acquisitions, partnerships, and long term business planning as Authentic continues growing its portfolio of brands.
For people following skateboarding and the skate shoe business, the leadership change matters because Authentic now controls some of the largest legacy names connected to skate culture, surf, BMX, snowboarding, and streetwear. Over the last few years, the company has quietly built one of the biggest corporate portfolios tied to action lifestyle brands.
Matt Maddox joined Authentic earlier this year after previously serving as CEO of Wynn Resorts. He will now oversee global operations, company growth, and portfolio management while Authentic continues expanding worldwide. During an interview with CNBC, Jamie Salter explained that the company explored going public more than once before private equity firms stepped in with larger offers. According to Salter, Authentic has now grown large enough that a public stock offering could happen within the next year.
That shift could affect skateboarding brands under the Authentic umbrella because public companies often face heavier pressure to increase revenue, grow product categories, and expand internationally. Skate shoe companies that once operated more independently are now connected to a massive corporate structure generating billions in retail sales across multiple industries.
Salter has spent much of the spring discussing Authentic’s future growth plans and financial performance. During a Reuters conference in New York, he said the company expects system wide retail sales to reach around $38 billion this year. He also stated that number could climb past $50 billion by the end of 2026 if ongoing acquisition talks are completed.
Authentic has also been developing internal technology systems to evaluate licensing opportunities and acquisitions faster. Salter discussed the company’s “Authentic Intelligence” platform, which reviews business data and licensing operations during potential deals. While that may seem far removed from skateboarding itself, systems like these influence how brands such as DC Shoes and Volcom expand into new product categories and international markets.
The company has also remained active in expanding what its skate and surf labels sell beyond footwear and apparel.
Billabong recently entered licensing agreements involving technical goggles and home products. Roxy expanded into beauty and personal care through a partnership with Broken Top Brands. DC Shoes has also been shifting attention back toward skateboarding and action focused marketing after years where many fans felt the company leaned too heavily into general lifestyle branding.
One of DC Shoes’ latest decisions involved becoming the official footwear partner of the Nitro Circus 2026 tour. The partnership places the brand back in front of BMX, motocross, and skate audiences that helped turn DC into one of the biggest skate shoe companies of the early 2000s.
Among longtime skateboarders, Authentic’s ownership of so many established brands still creates mixed opinions. Some skaters appreciate the larger financial backing and wider global distribution companies like DC Shoes and Quiksilver now receive. Others worry corporate ownership can slowly strip away parts of the identity that originally made these skate brands important within skate culture.
Authentic still appears heavily invested in the action lifestyle market. Since acquiring the Boardriders portfolio in 2023, the company has controlled a huge portion of the skate, surf, and snow industry. That acquisition brought Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, and DC Shoes together under one corporate parent alongside several other brands already owned by Authentic.
At the same time, the skate shoe business has become increasingly competitive again. Independent skate brands continue earning support among core skaters while larger companies compete through collaborations, team riders, contests, video projects, and technical footwear development. Companies like DC Shoes now face the challenge of appealing to longtime skateboarders while also fitting into a much larger corporate business strategy.
Authentic also reportedly remains active in acquisition discussions, including talks involving Lee Jeans. If more deals continue happening, the company’s influence across skateboarding, streetwear, outdoor apparel, and footwear could grow even larger over the next several years.
With Matt Maddox now handling day to day operations and Jamie Salter focusing on expansion deals and partnerships, Authentic Brands Group appears focused on increasing its control across the skate shoe and action lifestyle business.