Mizuno USA, Inc. has named Fritz Taylor as its new VP/general manager of the Running Division. Taylor joins Mizuno from Brooks Sports, where he served as SVP of Footwear. A veteran of the athletic footwear industry with a proven track record of success, Taylor will oversee Mizuno USAs Running Division, which includes sales, marketing, and operations for Mizunos premium line of running shoes and apparel.
“Its well known that Mizuno takes great pride in the quality and performance of the products that we take to market, but we place just as high of a priority on the quality, character, and business attributes of the people we employ,” said Bob Puccini, president of Mizuno USA, Inc., and chairman of Mizuno Canada, Ltd. “Fritz Taylors senior management experience, brand management capabilities, and most importantly, his leadership abilities are going to play a large part in the continued success of our rapidly growing Running Division.”
At Brooks, Taylor was responsible for leading the entire footwear team including merchandising, design, development, and future concepts. While with Brooks, Taylor was a key contributor to the strategic direction of the brand.
“A large part of what has made Mizuno one of the fastest growing specialty running brands, as well as a leader in golf, volleyball, and diamond sports, is our people,” said Puccini. “We are a multi-category specialty brand, and what separates us from other companies is the knowledge and experience of our people in their specific area of expertise and the emotional commitment to our brand philosophy. We hire individuals with tremendous leadership abilities and solid business experience; such as Fritz Taylor, whose proven track record and accomplishments in the athletic industry combined with his passion and respect for the Mizuno brand, make him the perfect candidate to lead our highly successful and rapidly growing Running Division. His knowledge and experience are going to help us in our never ending mission to build and sustain a loyal consumer brand franchise by delivering enriching brand experiences. Central to this experience is delivering the highest quality and the most technically advanced running shoes and apparel in the industry.”
Taylor graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Taylor will be relocating to the Atlanta, Georgia area from Redmond, Washington with his wife, Rianne, and their daughter, Cecilia, and son, Luc.