Finish Line Brand President Samuel M. Sato has been named president of The Finish Line Inc. and elected to the company’s board to fill the Class II director position previously held by Bill Kirkendall.
In the role of president, Sam will be more involved in all facets of Finish Line as we look toward our future, said Glenn Lyon, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Finish Line. Sam has a keen sense of the retail business and his acumen will further guide Finish Lines premium initiatives. He will direct our companys vision and mission with his much valued retail knowledge, dedicated spirit, passion and character.
Sato joined Finish Line in March, 2007 as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. He was then named president and chief merchandising officer in August, 2010 before assuming the role as president of the Finish Line Brand in October, 2012. He has served an integral role in creating, sustaining and elevating the Finish Line brand through our vendor partnerships, marketing and digital initiatives and store operations. Sato started his executive retail career at Nordstrom in 1985 prior to joining Finish Line.
Lyon added, Our board respects Sams ability to build and strengthen partnerships with our brands, our customers and our shareholders. As Finish Line continues to grow, his voice and experience will drive us to stay laser-focused on serving our customers and exceeding their expectations in this rapidly-changing omnichannel retail environment.
In April, Bill Kirkendall was appointed president of Running Specialty Group, Finish Line’s run specialty business, assumed management of the day-to-day operations at RSG from Gart Companies. Kirkendall served as a member of Finish Lines board of directors since 2001 until his resignation April 24, 2014.
The Finish Line, Inc. has approximately 1,030 Finish Line branded locations primarily in U.S. malls and shops inside Macys department stores. Running Specialty Group includes 59 specialty running stores in 13 states and the District of Columbia under The Running Company, Run On!, Blue Mile, Boulder Running Company, Ronckers Running Spot, Running Fit, VA Runner banners and CapitalRunWalk banners.
