Columbia Sportswear has hired Peter Ruppe, a footwear industry veteran most recently at Under Armour, as VP of footwear. According to the Oregonian, Ruppe will guide an effort to double Columbia’s footwear sales within three years.
“The goal is 2x within 3, or doubling sales in three years,” Ruppe told the Oregonian. “We’re late to the dance. But we believe there’s a wave we can ride. The interest in the outdoors is only growing.”
In 2017, global footwear sales increased 5 percent to $538.1 million. Footwear brands include Columbia, Sorel and Montrail.
Ruppe joined Under Armour in January 2015 as SVP of footwear after a nearly 25-year career at Nike. He left last July as a number of senior executives exited the firm in a restructuring phase.
During his time at Nike, Ruppe was at various times, VP and general manager of global footwear categories and merchandising, VP and GM of global equipment, and VP and GM of athletic training and field sports. Ruppe just prior to Under Armour served as president of Alchemy Global, the first online full-service investment platform dedicated to the sports and entertainment industry. He left Nike in 2009
Prior to Alchemy Global, he had been working with Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on the development of his WinForever coaching and motivational platform.
The Oregonian noted that Mark Nenow, who has been leading Sorel, will remain with Columbia.
