PRESS RELEASE: Former HOKA ANZ Commercial Leader Roger Hanney Joins The Outsiders As Fractional Chief Commercial Officer
Hanney, who helped build HOKA Australia and New Zealand into a market generating more than $150M in annual retail sales, joins The Outsiders as it scales a new commercial model for brand, athlete and destination partnerships.
For Immediate Release - 25 June 2026
Press images: [Google Folder]
Roger Hanney joins The Outsiders (L), Michelle Bates - The Outsiders Founder (R)
The Outsiders has appointed Roger Hanney as Fractional Chief Commercial Officer as it prepares to launch its first global Content Residency series across 10 destinations including Japan, the United States, Canada, Chile and New Zealand.
Hanney brings extensive commercial leadership experience from HOKA Australia and New Zealand, where he helped establish and scale the brand to more than $150M in annual retail sales across the Australian and New Zealand market. He joins The Outsiders as the company scales its Content Residency model, designed to create greater efficiency, distribution and value from brand content investment.
The Outsiders connects brands, athletes and destinations through real-world adventure, creating premium content, networked distribution and measurable partnership value through a shared investment approach.
Through its Content Residency model, The Outsiders provides brands with a scalable content engine built around curated partnerships, shared production efficiency, multi-channel distribution and trusted audience access.
Founded by Michelle Bates, a sports marketing and communications leader with more than 15 years’ experience across Olympic sport, global running brands, technology, tourism and international sporting events, The Outsiders was created to build a connected model for brands, athletes and destinations to collaborate.
The upcoming global series will bring together 40+ elite ski, snowboard, mountain bike and endurance athletes alongside brand collaborators and destination partners including Defender, Nikon, tourism organisations and other aligned partners. Content will be distributed across athlete communities, brand-owned channels, destination platforms, tourism operators and partner networks, creating multiple layers of reach and engagement.
Pilot Content Residencies featuring Defender (Land Rover New Zealand), Nikon, Helly Hansen, DB Journey and athletes including Casey Brown, Robin Goomes, Finn Bilous, Braden Currie and Ben Richards delivered 42 content assets, more than 55,000 video views, 7,300 interactions and 4,200 tracked engagements through The Outsiders' owned channels alone. At the time, the account had fewer than 250 followers and no paid media support. Historical athlete, partner and destination distribution was not comprehensively tracked during the pilot phase, with expanded reporting now being implemented across future residencies.
IRONMAN world champion Braden Currie during an Outsiders Content Residency, Mount Maud, New Zealand - Photographer credit: Jay French
David Garthwaite, Marketing Manager, Nikon New Zealand said, "What stood out was how intentionally the residency was curated. Rather than simply placing a brand into a content production environment, The Outsiders created opportunities for us to connect with audiences in a way that felt authentic and meaningful. It gave Nikon a natural role within the experience while helping us engage with a highly relevant outdoor community."
Hanney said, “The Content Residencies Michelle has built create a compelling opportunity for brands. Collaborating within a shared production environment creates greater efficiency, while the model reflects how brands are increasingly looking for more connected ways to create and distribute content.”
Bates said, “We are intentional about curating the right mix of aligned partners, athletes and creatives — maintaining the integrity of how each brand shows up in-market. Roger’s experience building commercial partnerships at scale will be invaluable as we continue to grow the model globally, while protecting the intentionality and curation that sit at the core of The Outsiders.”
ENDS
The Outsiders Instagram @for_outsiders_
About The Outsiders
The Outsiders is building a new model for how brands, athletes and destinations collaborate to create and distribute outdoor storytelling through real-world adventure.
Founded by Michelle Bates, a sports marketing and communications leader with more than 15 years’ experience across Olympic sport, global running brands, tech, tourism and international sporting events, the company also leads The Elevation Fund — committing 1% of revenue to support emerging athletes and creatives. Elevation Fund Impact Report (Q1 '26)
Roger Hanney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerhanney/
Michelle Bates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/outdoorcontent/