Authentic Brands Group expects IPO in next 12 months as new CEO steps in, founder tells CNBC

Key points

• The founder of Authentic Brands Group, the management firm behind dozens of retail names including Reebok, Champion and Brooks Brothers, said he expects to take the company public in the next 12 months as he announced a former Wynn Resorts CEO will be its next chief executive.
• In an exclusive interview with CNBC's Sara Eisen, Jamie Salter said Authentic's president, Matt Maddox, who joined the firm as president in January 2025 after a 20-year career at Wynn, will take over as CEO so Salter can transition to executive chairman.
• When asked if this means the company is headed for an initial public offering, Salter said he expects the company to go public "sometime in the next 12 months." "There's no doubt about it that Matt is definitely a great Wall Street CEO," said Salter.
• "We've almost gone public twice, we've filed twice and both times we were taken out by...