The Unicorns Podcast connects you to some of the best and brightest founders, CEOs, executives, business owners, VCs and inspiring leaders who make things happen and inspire others.

Hosted by media and PR veteran and CEO of Mojo Media, Justin Kelly, we chat to leaders on the front line on how to get started, what it takes to build a successful business, how to overcome challenges, and advice for those on a similar journey.

In this episode, Justin speaks with Piet Poelmann, CEO of global technical sailing and watersports apparel brand Zhik.

Zhik is now the official supplier of the Australian Olympic sailing team and is kitting out sailors in three other Olympics teams in Tokyo too.

Zhik is a dynamic Australian based apparel brand at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries in design and fabric technology for all sailors. Founded in 2003, Zhik’s range of wetsuits and dinghy gear completely changed the design approach for performance clothing and has been rapidly adopted by sailors across the globe.

Since then, Zhik has taken the same ‘clean sheet’ approach and has pushed strongly into yachting apparel, from coastal cruising to extreme ocean racing, and also into paddling and water sports.

Zhik was recently announced as the Technical Clothing Partner for AkzoNobel Ocean Racing for The Ocean Race Europe 2021, the prelude to The Ocean Race 2022-23.

Tune in below to hear more about how Zhik began; its association with both elite and recreational sailors; how the business survived Covid; what inspires and motivates its innovation and design and its phenomenal growth over recent years.