Merrell announced the appointment of Strick Walker to the position of chief marketing officer and Johanna Koeberle to senior product director, Active Lifestyle.

 Walker will spearhead global brand strategy and marketing efforts for the Merrell brand. He will report directly to Merrell President, Sue Rechner.

 Commenting on Walker’s appointment, Rechner stated, “Strick has a consistent track record of building emerging and established brands alike—not only delivering growth in global regions, but across an impressive array of brand channels, and he has an incredible passion for creativity. Merrell is a leader in the global outdoor industry and Strick’s unique blend of experience in the footwear, outdoor, and active lifestyle industries makes him a natural fit for this role. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.” 

 With over 20 years of global brand expansion and marketing experience, Walker has a proven history of success.  He was most recently Chief Marketing Officer at Spindrift Beverage Company and prior to that Senior Director of Global Marketing at Patagonia and Brand Director- EMEA and Senior Director of Global Brand Communications, at Converse Inc.  Walker also served as Chief Marketing Officer at 1% For the Planet.

 Merrell continues adding fresh talent to its team at all levels with the addition of Johanna Koeberle as the new Senior Product Director, Active Lifestyle.  “Johanna has a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of product creation at the intersection of performance and lifestyle,” stated John Burch, SVP Product Development.  “We look forward to her leadership in this area of growth for our brand.” 

Koeberle brings over 17 years of experience to her new role, most recently as Global Senior Product Manager, Lifestyle at Keen Footwear.  Prior to that she spent time at Sorel and Adidas in key product development roles.