Asics North America announced that Koichiro Kodama will return to Asics North America as president and CEO, effective immediately. He replaces Richard Sullivan, president and CEO of the North American business since January 2022. Sullivan was the president and COO of Asics North America since October 2020 and joined Asics as president of Asics Canada in 2016.
Kodama, who remains the managing executive officer at Asics’ headquarters, will oversee all facets of company business and operations in the North American region, which includes Canada, Mexico and the U.S., for performance running, sports style, apparel and accessories, and core performance sports.
“This appointment is important to the success of our brand in North America, and Kodama has a strong understanding of the business and a proven track record in the region,” said Yasuhito Hirota, president, CEO and COO. “He is clear on the global brand vision, how to achieve our business goals and ensure strong growth in North America.”
Kodama joined Asics in 2016. He was appointed managing executive officer based at Asics headquarters in Kobe, Japan, in January 2021, overseeing geography strategy, retail, global subsidiaries, and crisis management, among other areas. Before that, he was CEO of Asics North America from February 2019 until December 2020.
“My goal for the region remains unchanged: to set the business up for sustained success and to drive growth of brand value and preference,” said Kodama. “I look forward to returning to North America and making an immediate impact with our partners and key accounts as we continue to foster strong collaboration, a deep connection with our consumers and bring the best products to market.”
The North American executive leadership team reporting to Kodama includes Barbara Turner, chief administrative officer; Paul Ljucovic, chief financial officer; Satoshi Yamaguchi, executive vice president of strategy; Sean Condon, vice president of omnichannel; and Mike Dougherty, vice president of U.S. sales. Kodama will work from the Asics Irvine and Boston offices.
The change comes despite apparent steady progress in the region.
As reported by SGB Media, Asics Corp. on August 8 reported sales in the North America region, which includes the U.S., Mexico and Canada, increased 17.4 percent to ¥55.92 billion ($411.2 million) in H1 due to the strong sales of its Performance Running and Core Performance Sports categories. Segment income amounted to ¥505 million ($3.7 million) against an operating loss of ¥342 million, primarily due to an improvement in gross margin and the impact of the increase in net sales. Results were boosted in part by changes in foreign exchange rates.
The U.S. dollar climbed 10.3 percent as of June 30, 2023, compared to the same time a year ago.
Photo courtesy Asics
