Mitchell & Ness, the retro sports apparel brand acquired by Fanatics in 2022, named Eli Kumekpor as CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Kevin Wulff, who is retiring this Friday, September 1.
Kumekpor will be based in Irvine, CA, reporting to Joe Bozich, CEO of Fanatics Vertical Brands.
The company said Kumekpor brings over 20 years of strategic brand-building, financial and operational expertise to Mitchell & Ness. Most recently, he was the global vice president and general manager of the Jordan Brand’s men’s business. He was also the co-chair of the Nike Black Employee Network and a member of the Nike Black Community Commitment Taskforce.
“Eli has an incredible background that includes several years leading one of the world’s most progressive, beloved brands. He is the perfect leader to take Mitchell & Ness, an iconic lifestyle and culture brand, to the next level, as well as bring an elevated product mindset to everything Fanatics designs and makes,” said Bozich. “Eli will be focused on combining Mitchell & Ness’ momentum as a leading provider of high-quality vintage and lifestyle sports apparel with the power of the larger Fanatics platform and network, creating new avenues for significant growth for the brand.”
Fanatics acquired Mitchell & Ness in 2022, along with its numerous sports licensing agreements. Since then, Mitchell & Ness has added new rights across several leagues, colleges and players associations, including a new league-wide licensing deal with the NHL and an expanded headwear and throwback jersey catalog with MLB.
“For generations, Mitchell & Ness has sat at an incredibly unique crossroads weaving sports, culture, lifestyle, and fashion, and I couldn’t be more excited to be in this position to usher in the next era of such an iconic brand,” said Kumekpor. “I’ve long admired what Mitchell & Ness means to our culture at large, and I look forward to working closely with the team and the broader Fanatics organization to grow our presence and uncover new opportunities to deliver increased value to our fans and partners around the world.”
Before Nike, Kumekpor spent more than a decade in the healthcare industry, with leadership roles at AstraZeneca, Alcon, Life Technologies, and Cigna. Kumekpor also spent several years in strategy and operations at Deloitte Consulting, specializing in M&A strategy.
Photo courtesy Fanatics
