Gibson CEO James Curleigh on Running an Iconic Brand

This year at Summer NAMM, the zZounds Crew got the chance to speak with James “JC” Curleigh, the recently appointed CEO of Gibson Brands.

In our video interview, above, you can hear Curleigh’s vision for the future of Gibson guitars, and his thoughts on running a globally recognized brand. Of course, JC has experience on that front, having worked his way up after graduating Harvard and Stanford business schools to lead marketing efforts for the Mars Candy Co, Salomon skis, KEEN footwear, and, from 2012 to 2018, working for Levi’s, becoming President of Global brands for the denim giant in 2016.

Curleigh’s work for Levi’s included steering the brand in a way that would please veteran denim fanatics, while bringing the iconic brand to a younger audience. Sound like a familiar mission?

In our video, Curleigh states he wants the Gibson team to work toward a future where guitar matters even more than it did in the past. We hope they can achieve their goal!