New Balance announced the establishment of the New Balance Athlete Advisory Board, a specialized collective of professional athletes, company executives and brand associates “that will enable strategic decisions powered by shared values, culture and community.”

The new structure reflects a shift in its athlete endorsement deals toward a partnership model relationship over a sponsorship.

New Balance said in a statement, “The unprecedented group will be a guiding force for change within New Balance and further aid in the important work coming from the internal teams grounded on the principles of co-authorship. New Balance’s athletes and ambassadors are a representation of the company’s values. From teams to entertainment talent or athletes, the brand favors a partnership model relationship over sponsorship and takes a co-authored approach to stories and initiatives.”

This group will be led by former professional baseball player and community activist Curtis Granderson and Olympic Bronze Medalist and nine-time National Champion Emma Coburn as co-chairmen.

The following Team New Balance athletes will support Granderson and Coburn as board members on its integration between a brand and their athletes:

  • Francisco Lindor, pro baseball player
  • Brenda Martinez, pro runner
  • Milos Raonic, pro tennis player
  • Darius Bazley, pro basketball player

Yuron White, vice president of performance footwear, and Romina Bongiovanni, global director of communications and entertainment, would lead the New Balance executive governance board from a brand perspective and provide a framework for the athletes to operate within.

“We constantly reflect on what has taken us through the last 115 and, most importantly, the work that will take us through the next 115. The goal of the Athlete Advisory Board is to further strengthen this work by bringing in our athletes’ perspective in real-time and early on in our planning process,” said Bongiovanni. “We want to be the best version of ourselves vs the biggest version of ourselves. Team New Balance athletes are the drivers of progress within their sport and communities and we want the collective power of this group to influence various aspects of our business.”

The board will meet quarterly to discuss brand initiatives and issues affecting the industry, and give athletes the opportunity to add to the conversation and build plans against key priorities.

Its first Board Meeting was held in September. Topics discussed included New Balance’s 2022/23 brand vision, DE&I and the New Balance Foundation strategies.

“As an athlete, you want to use your talent to win games. But, for most of us, there’s also that need to give back to the community; to use our platform to create positive change. It goes way beyond the game,” said Granderson. “I speak for my fellow board members when I say we’re excited to join the New Balance Athlete Advisory Board to help build something that will have a long-lasting impact for years to come and inspire other athletes to join in.”

Photo courtesy New Balance