Nike
U.S. sports giant Nike continues to make adjustments in its executive team to drive growth recovery and strengthen brand momentum.
After 18 years with the company, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President Ann Miller has been appointed Executive Vice President of Global Sports Marketing, succeeding John Slusher, who is retiring after 26 years with the company.
In her new role, Ann Miller will continue reporting to President and CEO Elliott Hill, overseeing the development of Nike’s athlete, league, and partnership portfolio while driving end-to-end athlete integration across innovation, product, and storytelling. This strategic shift aims to better fulfill Nike’s commitment to serving athletes and re-establish sports as a core part of its business.
Ann Miller joined Nike in 2007 and has held various roles, including Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer. She was also General Counsel for Converse, a Nike subsidiary. Before joining Nike, Miller worked at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona, and played on the Smith College basketball team, where she was nominated for NCAA Division III Basketball Player of the Year.
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Rob Leinwand will succeed Miller as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, joining Nike’s senior leadership team and reporting to Elliott Hill. Rob Leinwand, a seasoned and accomplished attorney, joined Nike in 2004 and has led several teams within its legal department.
Additionally, Venkatesh Alagirisamy, Chief Supply Chain Officer with 18 years at Nike, will now report directly to Elliott Hill and join the senior leadership team.
Furthermore, Kizmet Mills has been promoted to Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, succeeding James Loduca, who left for family reasons. This promotion takes effect on November 11. Kizmet Mills joined Nike in 2016 as Director of Global University Relations and was previously a Senior Program Manager for University Relations at Coca-Cola Company.
Adidas
German sports giant Adidas announced that Chief Corporate Communications Officer Jan Runau will retire effective December 31.
Sebastian Steffen, currently Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, will succeed Runau as Chief Corporate Communications Officer, reporting to CEO Bjørn Gulden.
Left Image: Jan Runau; Right Image: Sebastian Steffen
Jan Runau joined Adidas in Germany in 1981 as a Public Relations Manager. He briefly left to work at Hugo Boss for eight months but returned to Adidas in 2000, taking charge of corporate communications, and was appointed to his current role in 2006. During his time at Adidas, Runau was named “Public Relations Spokesperson of the Year” four times.
Sebastian Steffen began his career at Adidas, serving as Investor Relations Manager and Public Relations Manager from 2000 to 2007. He later worked at Lufthansa and Deutsche Post DHL before returning to Adidas in 2015 to lead the Investor Relations department.
Wolverine
Wolverine Worldwide, one of the largest global footwear companies, has appointed Susie Kuhn as President of its Active Group. She joins the executive team, reporting to President and CEO Chris Hufnagel, effective October 28.
In her new role, Susie Kuhn will lead brand strategy for Merrell, Saucony, and Chaco, execute consumer-centric marketing plans, and drive commercial performance for the Active Group. She will also oversee The Collective, Wolverine’s newly established center of excellence, which focuses on supporting brands through consumer insights, trends, and innovation.
Susie Kuhn is a retail expert with over 25 years of global experience in the footwear and apparel industry, having held senior management positions at Nike, Converse, and Urbn. Her career spans global brand building, wholesale, DTC, merchandising, product design and development, and marketing.
Most recently, Kuhn was President of Foot Locker’s EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) division, where she was responsible for brand strategy and operational performance.
Columbia
Outdoor brand group Columbia Sportswear Company has appointed Matt Sutton as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Columbia brand.
In this new role, Matt Sutton will lead the global integration of Columbia’s marketing strategy, including creating omni-channel marketing strategies and enhancing brand capabilities.
Matt Sutton brings extensive experience in brand and digital marketing, with his most recent position as Chief Marketing Officer at The Black Tux and FreshDirect, where he led retail and DTC brands. He previously worked in Facebook’s Global Marketing department.
Mammut
Swiss outdoor clothing and equipment manufacturer Mammut Sports Group has appointed Matt Kaplan as General Manager for North America, effective November 18.
In his new position, Matt Kaplan will oversee business operations in the U.S. and Canadian markets, succeeding Kris Kuster, who recently became President and Co-Owner of X-Bionic’s North American operations.
Matt Kaplan has expertise in retail leadership, strategic business development, and market expansion within the outdoor industry. His most recent position was Vice President of Sales at Vail Resorts, and he previously held leadership roles at Outdoor Industry Association, Timberland, Ibex, and Suunto North America.
｜Source: SGB Media, official press releases
｜Image Credit: Brand official channels, executive personal social media accounts
｜Editor: LeZhi
