Reebok International president and chief operating officer Jay Margolis announces the appointment of Dennis Baldwin as the chief marketing officer for the Reebok brand. Baldwin, who had been the brand's senior vice president of global footwear since 2001, begins the transition into his new role immediately. The company has begun an internal and external search for Baldwin's successor.
Baldwin, 35, joined Reebok in 1995 as the marketing manager in the Licensing and New Business Development group. In 1996, he was promoted to category director for Reebok Kids, where he was responsible for the development of a comprehensive product and marketing program. In 1999, Baldwin assumed the role of vice president, Reebok Classic and is credited with building it into a fashion lifestyle business. Baldwin was one of the chief architects of the extremely successful Classic print campaign, which was launched in 2000 and continues to serve as the foundation of Reebok Classic marketing. In 2001, Baldwin was appointed senior vice president of global footwear. In that role, he was responsible for the strategic positioning, design, development and merchandising for Reebok footwear product around the world.
Baldwin replaces Muktesh “Micky” Pant, 49, who has announced his decision to leave Reebok to pursue his life-long dream of establishing a business that connects him to his roots in India, a country where wellness of the mind, body and spirit is held in high regard and serves as the very essence of the Indian culture. Pant plans to launch this venture in the U.S. and India later this year.
Pant held several executive positions at Reebok in both India and the U.S. before being promoted to CMO for the Reebok brand in November 2001.
“I am leaving Reebok with a sense of both excitement and sadness because I truly love the brand and will always be one of its most loyal ambassadors. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to go out and do something I have always dreamed of doing, and something that directly connects to my Indian heritage,” said Pant.
Reebok's global brand marketing platform is not expected to undergo any significant changes. For the past 18 months, Pant and Margolis have worked closely together with Arnell Group, Reebok's brand marketing agency, to develop and execute the brand's various marketing initiatives including Rbk, Performance and Classic. Margolis is credited with bringing Arnell to the company in 2001.
Pant will work closely with Baldwin over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth transition. “Dennis' wealth of product knowledge combined with his marketing experience and extensive Reebok background make his appointment to CMO of the Reebok brand natural and seamless,” says Margolis. “Dennis' background gives him a unique perspective few others have. His success in heading up global footwear and his keen understanding of the intricacies of product, marketing and sales have earned him the respect of our employees around the world. I am confident that he will build upon the marketing success we have enjoyed over the past few years,” continued Margolis.
