• August 2, 2007

Singapore-based Global Brands Group, a brand management, retail and licensing company, has hired former Reebok Vice President of Sales Simon Hawkins as vice president of licensing and sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

He will work on projects such as Fédération Intérnationale de Football Association (FIFA) 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

FIFA selected Global Brands Group to manage the body's worldwide licensing operations, as well as to operate exclusive FIFA-branded retail destinations for all FIFA events through 2014.

Hawkins spent more than 15 years at Reebok, during which time he held a variety of sales and leadership roles with the company. Most recently, as vice president of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), he worked to create a single regional sales organization for Reebok by aligning 11 autonomous subsidiaries and six independent distributors.

--Karl Greenberg