Outdoor Eye welcomes new partner, Ex Shimano’s Cris Caanen, strengthening its European brand & marketing leadership
Outdoor Eye, the specialist consultancy helping international fishing brands launch and scale across Europe, is proud to announce its new business partner and co-owner, industry expert Cris Caanen. Cris joins bringing a powerful combination of market insight, creative marketing leadership, and deep-rooted experience within the European predator sector. Cris joins Outdoor Eye from Shimano, where he served as Marketing Strategist for Predator, shaping campaigns, brand direction, and market engagement across one of Europe’s most competitive angling categories. His reputation for bold thinking, impactful brand initiatives and a relentless drive to innovate makes him a natural fit for Outdoor Eye’s mission.
Cris Caanen commented:
“As soon as I met Nathan, I understood his vision to make European integration easy for international tackle brands – because I had the same vision. Our complementary skills, industry experience with leading tackle brands and mutual love for angling make our partnership hard to compete with.”
Based in the Netherlands – one of Europe’s most influential and forward-thinking angling markets – Cris provides Outdoor Eye with an immediate presence in a region that continues to set trends for predator fishing across the continent. Cris will lead Brand and Marketing Strategy, complementing Outdoor Eye’s established strengths in new product development, distribution, and compliance. This expanded capability allows Outdoor Eye to offer a fully integrated pathway for international tackle brands entering Europe, from product creation to market execution.
Founder Nathan Leney added:
“Cris brings exactly the kind of strategic firepower and market intuition that international brands need when entering Europe. His understanding of predator fishing, combined with his creative approach to brand building, elevates what Outdoor Eye can deliver. This partnership strengthens our ability to take regionally successful brands into to the European landscape.”
With this partnership, Outdoor Eye continues its commitment to providing unmatched expertise, regional insight, and hands on execution for fishing brands looking to grow in Europe.