Deckers Brands
Deckers Brands, the U.S.-based outdoor apparel group and parent company of UGG and HOKA has announced the nomination of Patrick J. Grismer as a candidate for its Board of Directors at the company’s 2025 Annual Shareholders Meeting, scheduled for September 8.
At the same time, current President and CEO Dave Powers will not seek re-election at the shareholders meeting and will retire after serving on the Board for more than nine years.
Patrick J. Grismer brings over 35 years of financial leadership experience at leading global consumer goods companies. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of U.S. donut chain Krispy Kreme and previously served as Chairman of the Board at Panera Brands. Prior to that, he held Chief Financial Officer roles at Yum! Brands, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Starbucks, and served as Vice President of Strategic Planning for Disney Parks at The Walt Disney Company.
Grismer holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Northwestern University.
If elected to the Board of Directors of Deckers Brands, Grismer will join the Audit and Risk Committee. Current committee member Maha S. Ibrahim, if re-elected to the Board, will transition to the Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability, and Governance Committee and step down from the Audit and Risk Committee.
PUMA
German sportswear group PUMA has appointed Andreas Hubert as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective September 1.
In his new role, Hubert will oversee PUMA’s global sourcing operations, including sustainability, product development, information technology, and logistics. With the establishment of this new Board-level position, PUMA will consolidate sourcing, IT, and logistics functions under the COO division to streamline leadership and organizational structure. Previously, sourcing was overseen by the Chief Product Officer, IT by the Chief Financial Officer, and logistics fell under the CEO’s responsibilities.
Hubert served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at adidas until June 2025, where he was responsible for tech strategy, systems, applications, and IT services for more than four years. He joined adidas in 2005 and held various leadership roles, including a 12-year tenure in Hong Kong.
Topgolf
Topgolf Callaway Brands, the world’s largest golf club manufacturer, has announced the departure of Artie Starrs, CEO of its Topgolf division.
(Topgolf operates over 100 large-scale sports entertainment centers worldwide, offering interactive golf and other ball sports experiences via simulation technologies.)
The company has begun the search for a successor, with Starrs expected to remain in his role until September 2025 to ensure a smooth leadership transition. He has served as CEO of Topgolf since 2021, having previously held the role of CEO at Pizza Hut.
In September last year, Topgolf Callaway Brands announced plans to separate Topgolf and Callaway into two independent companies, with completion targeted for the second half of 2025. Starrs’ departure may delay the process until 2026.
arena
French performance swimwear brand arena has appointed Mark Pinger as Chief Brand Officer, effective October 1, 2025.
Pinger is a former German freestyle swimmer who, after retiring from competitive sports, joined McKinsey & Company as a project manager and business analyst. He later moved to Nike, where he held roles such as General Manager of Global Strategic Planning, Global Apparel Director, and Senior Director of the Advanced Innovation Apparel Team. In 2016, Pinger joined arena as Managing Director for the U.S. market, where he has led the brand to sustained year-over-year growth in North America.
Canyon
German cycling brand Canyon has appointed Ben Coates as its new General Manager for the United States, effective July 7.
Coates most recently served as CEO of U.S. mountain bike brand Revel Bikes. Prior to that, he spent 11 years at American bicycle manufacturer Trek Bicycle, where he held roles including Director of Road Product and Director of Product for the bicycle division. He also previously served as Managing Director of Swedish protective gear specialist POC.
In his new role, Coates will oversee sales, marketing, warehouse operations, and the company’s expanding service network in the U.S. He will focus on unlocking potential growth opportunities in the U.S. market and ensuring that future product launches further reinforce Canyon’s position as a global, innovation-driven, performance-focused, and customer-centric cycling brand.
Merrell
Kathy Forstadt, a longtime executive at U.S. footwear e-commerce platform Zappos, has joined Merrell, the outdoor footwear brand under U.S. footwear group Wolverine Worldwide, as Director of Lifestyle and Pure Play eCommerce for the U.S. wholesale business. This is a newly created role, and she will report to Vice President of Sales, Jessica Adler.
Forstadt spent 18 years at Zappos, holding roles such as Director of Women’s Casual Footwear, Director of Merchandising Planning, and Senior Director of Merchandising.
Athleta
Athleta, the activewear brand under U.S. fashion retail company Gap Inc., has appointed Maggie Gauger as Global Brand President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding outgoing CEO Chris Blakeslee.
Gap CEO Richard Dickson stated that Gauger’s responsibilities will include accelerating the brand’s turnaround: “She has a proven track record in business transformation, a deep consumer-centric mindset, strong product expertise, and a sincere commitment to empowering women and girls. This combination of skills and experience uniquely positions her to lead Athleta into its next phase of growth.”
Gauger has held leadership positions at U.S. sportswear giant Nike for over 20 years, most recently serving as Head of Women’s Business for North America, where she was responsible for growth initiatives including customer acquisition and expansion across the vast athletic and athleisure market.
Outdoor Voices
Ty Haney, founder of U.S. athleisure brand Outdoor Voices, has returned to the company.
Haney now holds several titles at Outdoor Voices: Founder, Partner, and Co-Owner. She is responsible for product, brand, creative, community engagement, and events, with the goal of refocusing the brand identity to resonate with a new generation of consumers while maintaining high engagement with the existing core audience.
In fact, Haney has been back at the company for nearly a year, during which time she has contributed to product design and explored strategies for brand repositioning. She repurchased equity in the company and will continue working alongside President Katie Siano, returning Creative Director Tiffany Wilkinson, newly appointed Design Director Jessica Guzman, and General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Mariel O’Brien.
Founded in 2013, Outdoor Voices focuses on the design and sale of casual apparel for men and women, with a commitment to developing durable “technical apparel.” While the brand has performed well in sales, high marketing and operational expenditures have led to persistent losses. Haney stepped down as CEO in February 2020.
She returned to the company in June 2020 as a member of the Board of Directors and later departed again in fall 2024. In June 2024, U.S. investment firm Consortium Brand Partners acquired Outdoor Voices, and following discussions with the firm, Haney decided to rejoin the company.
Schöffel
German outdoor brand Schöffel has announced that Peter Jud will succeed Stefan Merkt as General Manager of the Sports Division, effective August 1.
Jud joined Schöffel in 2008 and has served as Managing Director of its Swiss subsidiary, where he led the Schöffel SPORT, Schöffel PRO, and Schöffel TEC business units. He will continue to hold this position.
In his new role as General Manager of the Sports Division, Jud will relocate from Switzerland to the company’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, and collaborate with leaders from marketing, sales, operations, and product departments to shape the future strategy of Schöffel Sport.
Scarpa
Italian outdoor footwear manufacturer Scarpa has announced two executive appointments:
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Stefano Trentin has been appointed CEO of the Product and Marketing Division.
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Pierantonio Regeni has been appointed CEO of the Administration and Operations Division.
Trentin has held leadership roles in product, sales, branding, and integrated management at companies such as Nordica, the Benetton Group, Rossignol, and Tecnica Group.
Regeni joined Scarpa in 2019 and previously served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Scarpa, he was CFO at Italian apparel and fashion retail company LUMBERJACK.
Above: Pierantonio Regeni (left) and Stefano Trentin (right)
| Sources: Official press releases, SGB Media, fashionnetwork
| Image Credit: Brand and company websites, executive LinkedIn profiles
| Editor: LeZhi
