15 years. 50+ brands. $32 billion in annual global systemwide retail sales. Authentic has built a world-class portfolio spanning lifestyle, sports, media and entertainment. In Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI), the company leverages strategic partnerships, local expertise and global storytelling to connect with consumers.
Corey Salter, President of Entertainment and International, and Henry Stupp, President of EMEAI, share the strategy, milestones and vision that have fueled Authentic’s remarkable expansion across the region.
COREY SALTER — President of Entertainment and International
Authentic is celebrating 15 years in business and has experienced remarkable growth over that time. Can you tell our readers about the model?
Authentic is the world’s leading owner of sports, lifestyle and entertainment IP. Our model is simple but powerful. We acquire iconic brands and reposition them for long-term growth through licensing. We partner with best-in-class brand operators who excel at design, wholesale, digital, marketing and retail. Our teams focus on global storytelling and marketing that bring each brand to life. It’s a formula that’s scaled globally and driven sustainable growth.
What strategies and approaches have made Authentic successful?
Our success comes from a clear strategy and the discipline to stick with it. The Authentic model is digitally driven and culturally focused from the ground up. We think like a startup—fast, creative and always connected to the consumer. We approach brand building by using data and social platforms to engage more than 700 million followers and keep our brands relevant in every market.
Equally important is the strength of our business relationships. We focus on long-term, strategic retail partnerships and distribution strategies that meet customers where they are, whether that’s in stores, online or across emerging digital channels. That focus on the right partners, combined with the right distribution, ensures our brands are always accessible and always connected to today’s consumer.
Partnerships have been central to Authentic’s growth. What qualities do you look for in a strong partner?
At Authentic, it’s our job to match each brand with the partners and markets where it can truly thrive. But it’s more than what looks good on paper. We work with leaders in their categories and territories, partners who know their markets inside out and understand how to bring our brands to life. That expertise allows them to translate our vision for new audiences. Without shared investment, commitment and trust on both sides, a partnership won’t work. It’s this combination of strategic fit and mutual expertise that ensures long-term growth and shared value.
Authentic is partnered with some of the most iconic personalities in sports, entertainment and culture. How do you keep those names and legacies relevant?
Endorsements have always been part of how celebrities connect with consumers. What we do is take that a step further by aligning them with the right brands and building thoughtful merchandise programs that extend their reach worldwide. Beyond products, we tap into our Authentic Studios division to produce long-form content, streaming projects and experiences that bring their stories to life in new ways. Together, those strategies keep our icons at the center of culture.
Authentic brought Sports Illustrated into the portfolio in 2019, marking a major move into media and culture. What was your vision for SI at the time, and how has the brand evolved since then?
Our vision was always to take Sports Illustrated beyond the page and build it into a 360° brand. Sports Illustrated remains the most trusted name in sports journalism, but the brand has evolved into much more than a magazine. Today, it spans events and experiences, consumer products, photography and archives, even hospitality—have you seen the SI Stadium? Each of these extensions builds on the authority of the magazine and makes the brand more relevant than ever before.
Henry Stupp — President of EMEAI
Authentic officially established its EMEAI HQ in 2022 after partnering with David Beckham to grow his brand. Tell us about Authentic’s vision and how it has grown.
When we set up our EMEAI headquarters, the vision was clear: create a hub that connects our iconic brands to local markets with precision and authenticity. What began as a team of three has grown to more than 80, each bringing unique expertise and local knowledge. Today, our brands generate over $4 billion in annual retail sales and operate more than 4,600 stores and shop-in-shops across the region. The real strength lies in how our teams weave global strategy into local culture. They build tailored playbooks, form strategic partnerships and bring the insight that only comes from being on the ground. In many ways, our team is a bridge—connecting the power of Authentic’s global portfolio with the nuance and creativity of local markets, ensuring our brands don’t just arrive, they belong.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities for Authentic’s brands within the Europe and India markets?
Europe and India represent opportunity in very different ways. In Europe, it’s about depth—taking brands with strong heritage and weaving them more tightly into the fabric of local culture. Consumers value the in-store experience, creating a powerful platform for tailored assortments, experiential retail and storytelling that feels native to each market.
India, by contrast, is about scale and momentum. A young, digitally connected population is fueling demand for global brands, and by investing in supply chains, retail partnerships and digital strategies, we can reach millions of new consumers in ways that feel both accessible and personal.
So while Europe is about deepening roots, India is about planting new ones—and in both cases, the opportunity is to ensure our brands don’t just enter markets, they become part of them.
What are some brands that resonate most with consumers in the regions you oversee?
Many brands stand out for the way they resonate with consumers across EMEAI. The Boardriders brand portfolio, including Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, Element, DC Shoes, Volcom and Honolua is a prime example. Acquiring Boardriders was the second largest transaction in Authentic’s history, and it brought with it not just great brands, but a global ecosystem of culture and community. These are brands that live on beaches, in skateparks and in cities around the world, and they continue to connect through the athletes and communities that define them. We’re also seeing strong resonance from lifestyle and fashion brands. Ted Baker remains deeply tied to its British heritage while presenting modern design that feels fresh and relevant. Hunter, with its iconic boots and outerwear, continues to be a staple across Europe and beyond, valued for its style and utility. Together, these brands show the range of our Lifestyle portfolio in EMEAI, from action sports to heritage fashion, and how each one is expanding in a way that feels both authentic and enduring.
How do you envision Authentic’s next phase of expansion and innovation in your regions?
Looking ahead, our focus is twofold: nurturing organic growth for the brands we own and welcoming new ones into the portfolio through thoughtful acquisitions. The key is partnership. By working with market leaders who know their territories inside and out, we can bring our brands to life in ways that feel locally relevant. We see opportunity in expanding the DTR channel, which allows us to deliver elevated branded experiences with more control over how the consumer engages. At the same time, we’re working closely with our partners to raise the bar on customer service and experiential retail because today’s consumers expect more than a transaction, they expect a connection. It’s this balance of global scale, local expertise and commerce that ensures our growth remains sustainable, relevant and strong.
This article originally appeared in Edition 51 of The Bugg Report Magazine
