Academy, Ltd., doing business as Academy Sports + Outdoors, named Michelle J. Gloeckler, executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president of Academy International Limited, its global sourcing entity.
The appointment is effective August 29, 2016.
Gloeckler, 50, joins Academy after seven years with Walmart U.S. where she most recently served as EVP, consumables, health and wellness. At Walmart, she led the merchandising strategies in areas including beauty and personal care, pets, household paper and chemicals, baby, over-the-counter, pharmacy and optical. She also led U.S. manufacturing and supplier training functions for the $250 billion initiative. During her time there, she also held roles including SVP, home & U.S. manufacturing lead, SVP, merchandise execution and VP candy and impulse. Prior to Walmart, she spent more than 20 years in various executive leadership, sales, marketing and category development roles at The Hershey Company. Gloeckler earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications and Psychology from the University of Michigan.
“I’m ecstatic to join the Academy Sports + Outdoors team, and I look forward to getting to know our merchant, planning, sourcing and product development team members, along with our vendors and manufacturing partners,” said Gloeckler. “I believe Academy’s everyday low price approach, community-focused stores and the merchandise mix of national and private brands position it uniquely in the industry for future growth and success.”
Gloeckler has nearly 30 years of experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG), big box retail, merchandising, sourcing, manufacturing and strategy. In 2015, Fortune magazine named Gloeckler to its list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. In the same year, she was selected to lead the President’s Global Council of Women Leaders at Walmart.
“On behalf of our more than 25,000 team members, I am thrilled to welcome Michelle to the team,” said J.K. Symancyk, Academy Sports + Outdoors President and CEO. “Michelle is an industry-renowned business driver and broad general manager with experience leading transformation and growth within high-volume, fast-turn big box retail and CPG companies. Our team will benefit tremendously from her caliber of leadership as we focus on Academy Sports + Outdoors’ future growth.”
The $4.6 billion company operates over 210 stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, where the company is based.
