Under Armour
American sportswear company Under Armour has announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors: Dawn Fitzpatrick, Eugene Smith, and Robert Sweeney.
Pictured above from left to right: Dawn Fitzpatrick, Eugene Smith, Robert Sweeney
For the past eight years, Dawn Fitzpatrick has served as CEO and Chief Investment Officer of the private investment management firm Soros Fund Management. Prior to joining Soros in 2017, she spent 25 years at UBS and its predecessor institutions, where she rose to become Head of Investments for UBS Asset Management and was a member of the UBS Asset Management Executive Committee.
Eugene Smith, a seasoned expert in sports leadership, most recently served as Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics at The Ohio State University, a role he held from 2005 to 2024. During his tenure, he co-chaired the NCAA Federal-State Legislative Working Group, which advised the NCAA on matters related to name, image, and likeness (NIL). He also served as Chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee in 2011 and was a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. In addition, he participated in various NCAA bodies, including the Management Council, Infractions Committee, Executive Committee, Football Rules Committee, and the Presidential Advisory Group.
Since 2019, Robert Sweeney has been President of private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Prior to that, he worked at Goldman Sachs for 22 years, where he served as Partner and Global Head of Consumer/Retail Investment Banking. During his tenure, he provided advisory services to Under Armour on various matters, including its initial public offering in 2005. From 1989 to 1995, he also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy’s submarine force, holding various positions aboard the USS Annapolis and at the Naval Submarine School’s Submarine Officer Advanced Course.
Porsche eBike
Porsche’s electric bicycle division, Porsche eBike Performance GmbH, has appointed two executives:
- Denise Silva as Director of Product Definition
- Thorsten Weppert as Director of Corporate Quality
Pictured above from left to right: Denise Silva, Thorsten Weppert
Denise Silva will lead the Product Definition team, overseeing the transformation of the product portfolio strategy into system and component specifications. Her team will be responsible for translating requirements into project structures that maximize customer value.
With 18 years of experience in the bicycle industry, Denise Silva has worked with brands such as Specialized and BMC. Most recently, she joined the Accell Group, where she led product development for Haibike, Lapierre, and GHOST, successfully merging three independent, multi-location teams into a unified cross-functional matrix organization.
In his new role, Thorsten Weppert will lead the company’s quality division, strengthening quality management and ensuring vehicle standards by leveraging his extensive background in automotive development.
Thorsten Weppert brings over two decades of experience in quality management, including roles at Porsche AG OEM and within the automotive and medical technology supply sectors. At Porsche, he was responsible for quality planning of purchased parts and played a key role in ensuring the quality of external add-on components. Most recently, he led the establishment of the Body Function Quality department, supporting Porsche’s transition toward systems engineering.
Ciele Athletics
Canadian high-performance running brand Ciele Athletics, headquartered in Montreal, has appointed Jano Arabaghian as Chief Executive Officer.
Jano Arabaghian brings extensive global leadership experience, having held positions at Red Bull, The North Face, Oakley, and Vans. Most recently, he served as Head of Sales for Vans’ Action Sports division in North America and was previously General Manager for Vans Canada, where he played a pivotal role in driving growth, expanding brand presence, and building key retail and community partnerships.
Founded in 2014 by Jeremy Bresnen and Mike Giles, Ciele Athletics specializes in high-performance headwear and apparel for runners worldwide. The company is a certified B Corp and currently distributes its products through more than 1,300 retail locations across 43 countries.
Peloton
U.S.-based smart home fitness company Peloton Interactive, Inc. has announced key executive appointments:
- Charles Kirol has been named Chief Operating Officer, a newly created role effective April 14.
- Dion Camp Sanders, currently Chief Emerging Business Officer, has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer.
Pictured above from left to right: Charles Kirol, Dion Camp Sanders
In his new role, Charles Kirol will focus on supply chain, cost management, information technology, and driving operational excellence across Peloton’s business. He will report to Peloton President and CEO Peter Stern.
Charles Kirol has over 25 years of experience leading large-scale, high-impact business transformations. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Operations and Technology Officer at international consumer robotics company iRobot. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Sensata Technologies, a provider of sensor, electrical protection, control, and power management solutions. He also held senior roles in global operations, procurement, and supply chain management at Stanley Black & Decker and GE Capital. A former naval officer, he served for more than 16 years.
As part of the COO transition, current Chief Supply Chain Officer Andy Rendich will step down from his role and remain with the company in an advisory capacity through the end of the current fiscal year.
Upon assuming the role of Chief Commercial Officer, Dion Camp Sanders will be responsible for the P&L of several of Peloton’s revenue-generating business lines, including first-party and third-party retail, inside sales, Peloton Bike rentals and refurbished equipment sales, international strategy and operations, the Peloton for Business B2B channel, Precor, and the M&A and business development functions.
Dion Camp Sanders joined Peloton in 2019 and has since held several leadership roles, including Chief Emerging Business Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. Previously, he held various executive positions in consumer internet and digital media, including EVP of Corporate Development at Leaf Group and Vice President of Emerging Businesses at The Walt Disney Company.
Peloton has also announced it is beginning the search for a Chief Information Officer, who will be responsible for managing and overseeing the company’s IT strategy, operations, and infrastructure, reporting to Charles Kirol.
｜Source: Official press releases, Bicycle Retailer
｜Image Credit: Company websites, personal social media accounts
｜Editor: LeZhi
