Castore appoints new commercial operations lead

Sportswear brand Castore has announced the appointment of Danny Downs to lead the company’s commercial operations as it strengthens its senior executive team.

Downs brings 15 years of expertise from his time at Fanatics International where he was head of commercial development and the company’s first general manager with experience across international operations at the major sports and fan apparel brand’s ecommerce business. 

He delivered strong growth for the brand despite difficult market headwinds during his leadership tenure, after progressing through Fanatics International’s business and commercial development, licensing and legal services teams.

He built partnerships and held relationships with major sports clubs and leagues during his time at the provider of licensed sports merchandise and global digital sports platform, and will utilise his skillset in e-commerce, data-led solutions, retail and manufacturing to propel Castore’s next chapter of expansion. 

Tom Beahon, co-founder and co-CEO of Castore, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Danny to the team at Castore and are excited for him to lead our commercial operations as we continue our development as the UK’s fastest growing retailer. 

“Danny will play a crucial role in how Castore develops and we’re excited to have him here as a high-performing executive aligned with our pursuit to relentlessly improve. He brings a wealth of sporting and commercial knowledge from his time at Fanatics International and past legal career, as well as a passion for fan engagement.”

Downs added: “I’m very excited to be joining Castore as we continue to challenge the big players of the industry and am looking forward to supporting its growth trajectory. With record-breaking product launches in the last year and new partnerships to come, I look forward to driving the progression of the business development and team partnerships functions at Castore.”