Wolverine World Wide announced the appointment of Gordon Baird to the position of Managing Director for the Company’s Caterpillar Footwear European
operations. Baird will report to Blake W. Krueger, President of the Heritage Brands Group, and will be responsible for all aspects of the Caterpillar UK
and European businesses.
“CAT Footwear is a leading global brand with a historically strong
presence in the UK and Europe,” stated Krueger. “With almost fifty percent of
the CAT footwear global pairs currently sold in the European market, Gordon is
joining us in a pivotal role. We believe the brand has significant upside
potential in this key global market and that there exists a great opportunity
for continued growth. Gordon is a footwear industry veteran with strong
brand-building experience having held senior positions at both Adidas-Salomon
and Timberland. With his exceptional leadership and marketing skills, and his
proven track record of success, we expect that he will make an immediate
impact and help accelerate the current momentum of the CAT Footwear brand in
Europe.”
“Working with Blake Krueger and the rest of the CAT Footwear team is a
tremendous opportunity to make a strong brand name even stronger,” stated
Gordon Baird. “Helping the CAT brand realize its full potential in the
European footwear market is a challenge I look forward to as I work with the
CAT team to develop a highly focused product and marketing effort.”
Baird joins CAT Footwear having most recently served as Managing Director
for Adidas Northern Europe operations where he oversaw the integration of its
UK and Benelux subsidiary companies. He also ran Timberland’s UK and
Scandinavian operations and has worked in the branded consumer goods industry
for more than 22 years.
