Under Armour, Inc. opened its European headquarters in Amsterdam and concurrently promoted one of the company's partners, Ryan Wood, to president of international. The company will operate its European sales, marketing and logistics functions from an office located in Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium, originally built to host sports competitions during the 1928 Olympic Games.
“Ryan has been core to Under Armour's success in building solid relationships with independent and key account channels in the United States, and I'm confident that his stellar track record will continue in Europe and beyond,” commented Kevin Plank, founder and chief executive officer of Under Armour. “Our international business is a top priority, so we sent our best.”
Under Armour manufactures a line of moisture wicking microfiber apparel that pulls perspiration away from the skin to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. Founded in 1996, Under Armour develops diverse product lines to help athletes perform under all climates and conditions, including HeatGear to wear when it is hot, ColdGear to wear when it is cold, and AllSeasonGear to wear when conditions are between the two. “Under Armour is the U.S. leader in the fast- growing compression performance apparel market, and a growing number of athletes around the globe demand the performance advantage that our gear provides on the playing field,” commented Wood, who will relocate to Amsterdam and will lead Under Armour's operations in Europe, Asia and Canada. “Our success is built on a proven model of working with athletes and teams at a grassroots level to develop awareness, and we've already experienced great success among European players in soccer, cricket and rugby. Amsterdam is an ideal location to provide our growing base of customers and retailers in Europe with the highest level of service and support.”
Throughout Europe, Under Armour is worn by professional and university athletes in a wide variety of team sports, including soccer, rugby, cricket and ice hockey, and Wood is charged with building local European support to ensure the long-term success of the business internationally.
