Fleet Feet, Incorporated, the nation’s leading franchisor of running specialty stores, announced two promotions and a senior management hire to help manage the company’s aggressive growth plans. Luke Rowe has been elevated to the position of senior vice president, Business Development. Ben Cooke, formerly of Running Specialty Group, has been hired in the newly-created role of vice president, operations.
Robyn Goby has been elevated to vice president, marketing and communications.
Rowe has been with the company since 2002, serving in various roles to support the growth and profitability of the company. In his new role, he will oversee all business development, including new franchise and store development, independent acquisitions, vendor partnerships and relationships, and our education and training platforms.
Goby has been with the company since 1993, making her the longest running employee of Fleet Feet, Incorporated. Robyn, who started with the company as a sales associate and store manager, moved into a corporate role in 1996 and has supported store marketing efforts, overseen corporate communications and managed all corporate conferences and events. In her new role, she will also oversee the initial phases of the new store development process, including new franchise candidates, employee-to-operator candidate processes, as well as the process for owners considering multiple locations.
Cooke in his new role will oversee franchise and store operations with an emphasis on developing and implementing customer focused strategies that create operating efficiencies and ultimately drive franchise revenue growth and profitability. Cooke brings more than ten years of experience overseeing retail operations in the specialty retail channel including managing large and geographically diverse teams. He previously oversaw 18 stores and over 300 employees for Running Specialty Group.
“We have added six new locations and our business is on pace to exceed $130 Million in sales this year. We have a pipeline full of new franchise candidates for 2013 and we will open our 100th store this spring,” said Jeff Phillips, president and CEO, Fleet Feet, Incorporated. “These moves will help us build on the current momentum and aggressively lead the company into the future. I am thrilled with the level of specialty retail experience and expertise this management team brings to the organization.”
Fleet Feet has 98 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
