Allbirds said in a regulatory filing that Tim Brown had transitioned from co-chief executive officer to co-founder and chief innovation officer, a non-executive role. The change in Brown’s position was effective May 4. The eco-footwear manufacturer also announced in a separate filing that it terminated 21 corporate jobs.

On Allbirds’ first-quarter analyst call on May 9, Brown said his focus was on four key areas as part of the brand’s strategic transformation plan:

  • driving awareness around the Allbirds brand;
  • helping to establish key strategic partnerships to grow awareness;
  • working to define Allbird’s future approach to sustainable innovation in footwear; and
  • Allbird’s culture

Brown also said that to support his focus, co-founder and now sole CEO Joey Zwillinger and the company’s board decided to transition his role to chief innovation officer, with Zwillinger focused on day-to-day operations.

“While my role has changed, one thing hasn’t, and that’s my long-term focus and belief in the potential of this brand and business. I know both how far we have come and how much further we can go. From the original Kickstarter campaign to the launch of Allbirds and the world’s most comfortable shoe and to the recent launch of innovations like the M0.0NSHOT project, we have significant opportunities ahead. With a focus on design, innovation, and a clear vision for the role that brands will play in a new sustainable economy, we have significant potential through the strategic transformation underway,” said Brown.

The leadership realignment comes as Allbird’s 10Q filed on May 10 indicated that the company reduced its global corporate workforce and terminated 21 employees in May. Allbirds said, “We expect the estimated expenses related to severance and other employee termination-related costs, including the impact of stock-based compensation, to be immaterial and substantially recognized during the second quarter of 2023.”

The reductions amounted to 9 percent of Allbird’s corporate workforce and followed the layoff of 8 percent of its workforce in August 2022 as it began its transformation efforts.

Photo courtesy Tim Brown/Allbirds