SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 4, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Diamond, Inc. (BDE) (the "Company" or "Black Diamond"), a global leading supplier of innovative, high performance, active outdoor and action sports equipment and apparel, has promoted Aaron Kuehne to chief financial officer, effective November 1, 2013.<br /><br />Kuehne, who has served as interim CFO for the past seven months, joined Black Diamond nearly three years ago as the director of financial reporting before being promoted to vice president of finance. He was appointed permanent CFO after the Company performed an extensive external search in which he was considered among a pool of talented candidates.<br /><br />"Aaron has proven his commitment to our team and demonstrated himself as a highly effective leader in positions of increasing responsibility and oversight," said Peter Metcalf, president and CEO of Black Diamond. "He has been instrumental in the development and execution of our global accounting, finance and treasury functions, including key strategic and financial initiatives, risk management, and the integration of POC and PIEPS. Moreover, Aaron deeply understands the dynamics of our long-term strategies, which are focused on providing meaningful returns to our shareholders as we pursue our vision of becoming a global brand leader in both hard and soft goods."<br /><br />Prior to joining Black Diamond, Kuehne served in various capacities with KPMG, most recently as an audit manager. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of Utah in 2002 and an MBA from the University of Utah -- David Eccles School of Business in 2004. He has also been a certified public accountant since 2005.<br /><br />About Black Diamond, Inc.<br /><br />Black Diamond, Inc. is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of innovative active outdoor performance products for climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, skiing, cycling and other outdoor recreation activities for a wide range of year-round use. The Company's principal brands, Black Diamond(R), Gregory(TM), POC(TM) and PIEPS(TM), are iconic in the active outdoor industry and linked intrinsically with the modern history of these sports. Black Diamond is synonymous with performance, innovation, durability and safety that the outdoor and action sport communities rely on and embrace in their active lifestyle. Headquartered in Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, the Company's products are created and tested on some of the best alpine peaks, slopes, crags, roads and trails in the world. These close connections to the Black Diamond lifestyle enhance the authenticity of the Company's brands, inspire product innovation and strengthen customer loyalty. The Company's products are sold by leading specialty retailers in the U.S. and 50 countries around the world. For additional information, please visit the Company's websites at www.blackdiamond-inc.com, www.blackdiamondequipment.com, www.gregorypacks.com, www.pocsports.com or www.pieps.com.<br /><br />Forward-Looking Statements<br /><br />Please note that in this press release we may use words such as "appears," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "expects," "intends," "future," and similar expressions which constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks and uncertainties. We caution that forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, the overall level of consumer spending on our products; general economic conditions and other factors affecting consumer confidence; disruption and volatility in the global capital and credit markets; the financial strength of the Company's customers; the Company's ability to implement its growth strategy; the Company's ability to successfully integrate and grow acquisitions; the Company's exposure to product liability or product warranty claims and other loss contingencies; stability of the Company's manufacturing facilities and foreign suppliers; the Company's ability to protect trademarks and other intellectual property rights; fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products; foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards; and legal, regulatory, political and economic risks in international markets. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this press release, and speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.