New heads of Amazon, Asics North America, Boardriders, Herschel Supply, Salomon, Timberland, and Topgolf were among the major C-suite moves that transformed leadership across the active lifestyle industry in 2021.

Below are notable executive changes by month for 2021.

December 2021

  • The Board of Directors of Escalade, Inc. announced the appointment of Walter P. Glazer, Jr. as CEO and president effective January 1, 2022. Glazer had been serving as interim CEO and president. Read more
  • USA Cycling appointed cycling industry veteran and USA Cycling Chairman of the Board, Brendan Quirk, to be its next CEO, replacing Rob DeMartini. Read more
  • Tony Ueber, CEO, 24 Hour Fitness since January 2019, left the fitness chain. 24 Hour Fitness COO Karl Sanft took over as interim CEO. Read more
  • USTA CEO and Executive Director Michael Dowse will step down from his position effective March 2022. Dowse was named USTA CEO and Executive Director in October 2019 after six years as president of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Read more
  • Bedrock Manufacturing Company (BMC), the parent of Shinola and Filson, named Awenate Cobbina as CEO effective January 1, 2022. The appointment represents an expanded leadership role for Cobbina at the company where he currently serves as a member of its Board and runs investing and philanthropic activities. Read more
  • With its equity partner Factory-LLC, Honey Stinger announced its CEO, Mike Keown, would step down for personal reasons at the end of 2021. Read more
  • VF Corporation announced the appointment of Nina Flood to the newly created position of president, Global Packs, Eastpak, JanSpor, and Kipling. Read more
  • Snowsports Merchandising Corporation (SMC) announced it hired Gary Fleming as president. Read more

November 2021

  • Saucony, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. announced it appointed industry veteran Brian Moore to senior vice president, global product, effective immediately. Read more
  • Katadyn North America announced the promotion of Chris Voxland as president and the promotion of John Wright to vice president, sales. Read more
  • SquadLocker announced the hire of digital e-commerce veteran Scott Brazina to president and member of the company’s Board of Directors. Brazina is responsible for the company’s strategy, sales, marketing, partnerships, product, customer experience, and go-to-market directive. Read more
  • Neiman Marcus Group announced three executive appointments and role expansions to support the luxury retailer’s continued transformation. Read more
  • Davidson’s announced that Wayne Tumlin was promoted to president. Tumlin succeeds Bryan Tucker who will remain actively involved as chairman and CEO. Read more
  • Life Fitness appointed Paul Stoneham as CEO effective immediately. Read more
  • Canada Goose appointed Paul Cadman as President, Asia-Pacific (APAC). His past experiences include roles at Salvatore Ferragamo, Asprey & Garrard, Bvlgari, and Estée Lauder. Read more

October 2021

  • McCann Worldgroup appointed Nike’s marketing veteran Alex Lopez as president and global chief creative officer. Lopez spent 23 years at Nike, most recently as global vice president of brand marketing and global men’s creative director. Read more
  • Carver Skateboards hired Dave Root as president. Root was previously general manager for Absolute Board Co. and brings with him two decades of industry experience and process implementation having managed skate hardgoods brands including Penny, Z-Flex and Arbor Skateboards. Read more
  • Current Asics North America President and COO, Richard Sullivan was appointed as Asics North America president and chief executive officer and named an executive officer of Asics Corp. Read more
  • JCPenney announced the appointment of Marc Rosen as CEO effective November 1, 2021. Rosen most recently led the Americas regions for Levi Strauss. Read more
  • Certor Sports, the parent of Adams USA, Hollywood Bases, ProGear, Schutt Sports, Tucci, and Vicis, appointed Jim Heidenreich as CEO. Read more

September 2021

  • Black Diamond Equipment announced key promotions to its senior leadership team in its sales and operations divisions. Read more
  • Revo named Jerry Bedingfield as VP sales, sport specialty, U.S. operations. Christoph Nitz and Kurt Lunger were appointed VP sales, sport specialty, Europe. Read more
  • Chrome Industries announced that Timothy Leedom was appointed the brand’s president. Leedom had been CEO for Bern Helmets. Read more
  • Brompton appointed Juliet Scott-Croxford as president, North America. Read more
  • Lids announced the promotion of Britten Maughan to president. Maughan was Lids’ senior vice president, marketing and partnerships. Read more
  • Columbia Sportswear Company appointed Monica Mirro as president, Prana. Read more
  • Columbia Sportswear Company announced the appointment of Troy Sicotte as president, Mountain Hardwear. Read more
  • Hibbett Inc. announced the promotion of Jared Briskin to executive vice president, merchandising, effective immediately. Briskin is responsible for merchandising, planning, allocation, and supply chain. Read more
  • The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) hired Matt Lafone as president and general manager, Americas. Lafone was formerly COO, Payless Shoesource. Read more
  • Echelon Fitness announced the appointment of Alex Kaplan as president. Read more
  • Everlane appointed Andrea O’Donnell, former president of Ugg, as CEO. Michael Preysman, Everlane’s founder and former CEO, will become executive chair while taking on a sustainability-focused role. Read more
  • U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced it had appointed Sophie Goldschmidt as president and CEO replacing Tiger Shaw. Read more
  • Canyon Bicycles reported that its CEO, Armin Landgraf, will step down at the end of September for personal reasons, and the company’s CFO, Winfried Rapp, assumed the role on an interim basis. Read more
  • Lululemon said in an internal memo to employees that Brynn Putnam, CEO of Mirror, had stepped down, effective immediately. Putnam continues to serve as an advisor to Mirror until July 2022 while Lululemon searches for a successor. Read more
  • Canadian luxury outerwear and sportswear brand, Moose Knuckles, said Victor Luis had been appointed CEO. Read more

August 2021

  • The Frasers Group, the parent of U.K.-based Sports Direct, promoted Sean Nevitt to chief commercial officer and David Al-Mudallal to chief operating officer to support the proposed transition of the CEO role to Michael Murray. Read more
  • Topgolf Entertainment Group announced that Genifer Gray had been named COO, U.S. Venues, Geoff Cottrill would join the company as CMO and Kristi Maynor would join Topgolf as chief people officer. The three report to Artie Starrs, who came to Topgolf as CEO earlier in 2021. Read more
  • Amer Sports Corp. announced the planned appointment of Franco Fogliato as president and CEO of Salomon. Fogliato was, most recently, executive vice president of global omnichannel for Columbia Sportswear. Read more
  • Adidas said Rupert Campbell will succeed Zion Armstrong as president of Adidas North America, effective January 1, 2022.  Read more
  • Ecco appointed Panos Mytaros as CEO replacing Steen Borgholm who stepped down by mutual agreement. Read more
  • Vail Resorts, Inc. announced that Kirsten Lynch, the company’s chief marketing officer, would be appointed CEO and elected to the company’s board of directors, effective November 1, 2021. At that time, Rob Katz, the company’s CEO, would be appointed executive chairperson. Read more
  • Frasers Group, the owner of Sports Direct, EMS and Bob’s Stores in the U.S., said Mike Ashley would step down as CEO in 2022. He would be succeeded by Michael Murray, who is the current head of elevation at Fraser Group. Read more
  • Headsweats announced it hired industry veteran, Jim Heese, as CEO. Heese joined Headsweats from Exxel Outdoors. Read more
  • Black Diamond Equipment appointed industry veteran Mike Hattrup as its business unit director, ski category. Read more
  • Camber’s Board of Directors named Renita E. Smith as Co-CEO who joined Emily Newman at the helm of the membership-based organization. Read more

July 2021

  • GNC announced it had appointed Nate Frazier as EVP, chief operating officer and Karlyn Mattson as chief merchandising officer. Read more
  • Ecco announced Dave Quel, president, Ecco USA, would retire at the end of July after 22 years with the company. Klaus Flock, CFO, Ecco USA, would assume the role of interim president until a successor had been appointed. Read more
  • Burlington Stores, Inc. appointed Travis Marquette as president and chief operating officer, overseeing and managing the company’s stores, real estate, supply chain, and information technology. Read more
  • Hoyt Archery named Zak Kurtzhals as company president. He had been VP of operations. Kurtzhals succeeded Randy Walk, effective July 19. Read more
  • Henry Repeating Arms appointed Andy Wickstrom as president. Read more
  • CrossFit LLC announced the appointment of former Nike executive Jason Dunlop as president. Dunlop, who also held senior roles at Starbucks and The Gap. Read more
  • Qurate Retail, Inc., the parent of QVC and HSN, announced that David Rawlinson, II would assume the role of president and CEO, effective October 1. He succeeded Mike George after a two-month transition period. Read more
  • Belk announced several promotions within the company’s senior leadership, most notably Nir Patel to CEO. Lisa Harper, who served as Belk’s CEO dating back to July 2016, had transitioned to the executive chair, Belk Board of Directors. Read more
  • Ben Francis, founder, Gymshark, reclaimed his role as chief executive in August as the company expands into the U.S. and Asia. The move comes four years after Francis stepped back from leading the brand. Read more
  • JD Sports Fashion said it would split Peter Cowgill’s role as executive chairman and recruit a chief executive over the next year. Read more

June 2021

  • Hoka One One hired industry veteran Evie Moe as its first senior director of apparel to oversee product and design. Matt Rask was hired as senior director, footwear design. Read more
  • Fanatics plans to hire Tucker Kain, president of business enterprise for the Los Angeles Dodgers, to help the company expand beyond licensed fan merchandise. Read more
  • Buckle, Inc. announced that Robert M. Carlberg, senior vice president of men’s merchandising, would retire from his position with the company at the end of the current fiscal year. Read more
  • K-Swiss appointed Dave Grange as international K-Swiss brand president and Americas general manager. Grange, who was most recently VP of sales at K-Swiss, replaced Barney Waters who had been the brand’s president since 2016. Read more
  • Dearfoams announced Jocelyn Thornton as its new brand president. The hiring comes as Dearfoams is moving into multi-category segments including home, sleepwear and socks and is expanding within the comfort shoe category. Read more
  • Wolverine World Wide Inc. announced that Brendan Hoffman, president and a member of the company’s Board of Directors, will also become chief executive officer at the end of the year. Hoffman will succeed Blake Krueger, who will assume the newly created role of executive chairman. (Read More)
  • IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association) announced the appointment of Elizabeth Clark as the association’s next president and CEO. Read more
  • K2-MDV Holdings announced that John Colonna, current president of K2 Sports, had been named president & CEO. Read more
  • Johan Eliasch was elected president of the International Ski Federation (ISF) on June 4, 2021 and had stepped down as CEO of HEAD effective immediately. Read more
  • Decathlon appointed Christian Ollier as CEO of Decathlon U.S.A. allowing its prior CEO, Michel D’Humières, to move on to other projects within the company. Read more
  • CCM Hockey appointed Marrouane Nabih as CEO. Since joining the company in 2019 as CFO, Nabih had contributed to all aspects of its business and played a critical role in shepherding CCM through the pandemic. Read more
  • MacNeill Pride Group announced the appointment of Keith Bornholtz as CEO and added four members to its Board. Read more
  • Fishing tackle maker Anything Possible Brands announced John Weiss as its new CEO. Weiss has held leadership roles in the fishing industry for more than 25 years including executive vice president of global brands for the Jarden Corporation (Pure Fishing) and president of Rhythm, Inc. Read more

May 2021

  • AllTerra Arms, an Idaho-based manufacturer of precision bolt-action rifles, hired Mike Schwiebert as chief marketing officer and Dan Rice as vice president, sales. Read more
  • Clif Bar & Company announced it had hired three consumer package goods industry executives to drive growth and expansion—Shaunte Mears-Watkins, chief commercial officer; Roma McCaig, senior vice president of impact and communications and Hari Avula, chief financial and strategy officer. Read more
  • Kathmandu Holdings Ltd. announced the appointment of Michael Daly, CEO, Rip Curl, as group chief executive officer and managing director following the resignation of Xavier Simonet, chairman, Kathmandu Holdings. Read more
  • Tom Mackin, president, Rapala USA and executive vice president, distribution and brands, North America for Rapala VMC Corp. is retiring from the company effective December 31, 2021. Read more
  • Daiwa Corp. reported that Carey Graves had been promoted to president of American Daiwa, the company’s U.S. operation. Graves replaced Trevor Teragaki who had been elevated to board chairman and also represents Daiwa USA as a board member for Globeride, Inc., Daiwa’s Japan-based parent company. Read more

April 2021

  • LifeStraw expanded its leadership team naming Kelly Neel head of global sales for the outdoor channel and Shannon Randlett head of mass retail. Tara Lundy was promoted to chief brand officer. Read more
  • Columbia Sportswear Company announced the retirement of Doug Morse, senior vice president, emerging brands, in the summer of 2021, and the hiring of Craig Zanon to fill the vacancy. Zanon spent more than twenty years with Nike where, most recently, he served as vice president and general manager, global basketball. Read more
  • Addaday announced four hires for its continued global growth; including Luke Rowe as chief operations officer and Jeff Irvin as head of sales. Read more
  • Vail Resorts, Inc. announced that Patricia Campbell, president of the company’s mountain division, would be stepping down to assume a new role as senior advisor to the company’s mountain division. Read more
  • Eric Rosen, a 20-year veteran of Vibram, would retire in April. In conjunction with his departure, Vibram announced changes to its senior management team. Read more
  • HanesBrands announced that Michael Dastugue had been named CFO. Most recently, Dastugue was executive vice president and chief financial officer at Walmart U.S. Read more
  • Duluth Trading Company appointed retail industry veteran Sam Sato as president and chief executive officer, effective May 3, 2021. Sato was most recently CEO of The Finish Line. Read more
  • Paul Stoneham is to step down as CEO of Helly Hansen after six years at the helm. He will remain in his role until a new CEO is appointed and a handover period has occurred. Read more
  • United Tactical Systems (UTS) announced the appointment of technology and public safety executive Bob Plaschke as CEO to lead all businesses, including its PepperBall and First Strike divisions. Read more

March 2021

  • Herschel Supply Co. announced that Jon Hoerauf would join the company as CEO. Hoerauf was formerly president,  Arc’teryx. Read more
  • MyFitnessPal announced that Tricia Han would join the company as CEO. Han was previously CEO of Daily Burn and chief product officer and GM of USforCare.com. Read more
  • Shimano appointed Taizo Shimano, who joined the company in 1991 and served as a senior executive vice president since 2018 after leading Shimano’s Fishing Tackle division, as its new president. Read more
  • Buck Knives appointed Lane Tobiassen as president. Most recently, Tobiassen was president of Smith & Wesson the Firearms Division of American Outdoor Brands. Read more
  • Cascade Designs, the parent company of Therm-a-Rest, MSR, Platypus, SealLine, PackTowl, and Varilite, appointed Jim Osgood as president, North America and Pacific Rim. Read more
  • Steve Stenersen, CEO, US Lacrosse since the organization’s founding in 1998, announced his intention to depart the organization by the end of 2021. Read more
  • VF Corp. announced the appointment of Susie Mulder as global brand president, Timberland. Mulder joins the Timberland brand from NIC+ZOE where she served as CEO since April 2012. Read more
  • Tecnica Group hired Giovanni Zoppas as CEO and general manager effective May 2021. Zoppas will take over the role held on an interim basis by the Group’s Chairman Alberto Zanatta, after its previous CEO, Antonio Dus, left in December 2020.  Read more
  • FitFlop appointed Gianni Georgiades as CEO.  He had been CEO, footwear, at Lacoste since 2018. Read more
  • Shoe Carnival, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors had unanimously elected Mark Worden, the company’s president and chief customer officer, as its next president and chief executive officer, effective September 30, 2021. Worden succeeds Cliff Sifford. Read more
  • Topgolf Entertainment Group hired Artie Starrs as CEO, Topgolf, effective April 5, 2021. Read more
  • Hunter, the British boot brand, appointed Paolo Porta as CEO. He had been holding the position on an interim basis since replacing Vincent Wauters in June 2020. Read more
  • Clarks, the U.K.-based shoe retailer, said Victor Herrero would assume the role of CEO after Hong Kong-based investment firm LionRock Capital completed its £100 million ($139 million) purchase of a controlling take in the company. Read more

February 2021

  • Creedmoor Sports, Inc. appointed Bill Gravatt as president. Read more
  • Target Corp. announced changes across its executive leadership team, including appointing Christina Hennington as executive vice president and chief growth officer. Read more
  • Authentic Brands Group announced executive promotions for sustainable and scalable growth. Read more
  • Outdoor Voices announced that Gabrielle Conforti had joined the company as chief executive officer. She has spent the last six years at Urban Outfitters where she held senior management roles including chief merchandising officer and president.  Read more
  • VF Corp. announced the appointment of Jan Van Mossevelde to global brand president, Icebreaker. Read more
  • MidwayUSA promoted Matt Fleming to president and CEO. MidwayUSA founder, Larry Potterfield, left his role as CEO but is continuing as chairman. Read more
  • OrderMyGear announced Matt Kaplan as the company’s first president. Kaplan will lead its global sales organization, account management, brand partnerships, and marketing. Read more
  • Escalade, Inc. said Scott Sincerbeaux had resigned from all of his positions with Escalade, including CEO, president and director. Walter Glazer had been appointed as the company’s interim CEO and president. Read more
  • GNC announced that Josh Burris would assume the role of CEO and Cam Lawrence would assume the role of CFO, effective immediately. Read more
  • Tom Fowler, the former president of Polar Electro USA, joined Wüsthof’s as president of the cutlery maker’s Americas business unit. Read more
  • Boardriders, Inc., the parent of Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, and VonZipper brands, announced that Arne Arens would join the company as CEO effective March 1. Most recently Arens was global brand president of The North Face. Read more
  • Amer Sports Corp. announced the appointment of Stuart Haselden to the newly-created role of CEO at Arc’teryx. Most recently, Haselden had served as CEO for the lifestyle luggage brand Away. He has also held leadership roles at Lululemon, J. Crew and Saks. Haselden succeeds Jon Hoerauf, president, Arc’teryx. Read more
  • Amazon announced that Jeff Bezos would transition to the role of executive chair in the third quarter of 2021 and Andy Jassy would become CEO at that time. Jassy is CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Read more
  • Club Champion has hired Adam Levy as CEO. Levy’s retail growth expertise comes from working with companies including Tumi, Tommy Hilfiger and Refac Optical Group. Read more
  • PVH Corp. announced that Stefan Larsson had joined the company as CEO and its Board of Directors, completing a previously announced transition plan. PVH’s former CEO, Manny Chirico, is continuing his role as chairman of the Board of Directors. (Read More)
  • Hilary Hartley has been appointed business area president region the Americas for Thule Group. Read more

January 2021

  • Feetures announced executive changes as part of succession planning, including national sales manager for footwear specialty retailers, Steve Hallinan, becoming key accounts manager, John Gaither becoming chief operations officer and Joe Gaither, executive vice president. Read more
  • Expresso Fitness named Jeff Veldhuizen as CEO. Veldhuizen previously served as vice president, direct-to-consumer, for Zwift and held senior roles for more than a decade at Nike. Read more
  • CLMBR announced the expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Paul LaFontaine as COO and Matt Culig to the CFO. Read more
  • Columbia Sportswear Company appointed of Tim Sheerin as senior vice president, U.S. sales, for the Columbia brand. Sheerin had been vice president, North America sales, at Nike. Read more
  • Amer Sports announced that Michael White, president, Salomon, had left the company to “pursue other interests.” Read more
  • Native Shoes promoted Kyle Housman from president to CEO. He succeeds Co-owner and CEO Scott Hawthorn, who had become executive chairman. Read more
  • Filson announced that Paolo Corinaldesi had been named as CEO. Corinaldesi is the sixth CEO in the brand’s 124-year history. Read more
  • Canada Goose announced the appointment of Scott Cameron as president, Asia-Pacific (APAC), effective April 1, and the appointment of Michael D. Armstrong, executive vice president, ViacomCBS, to its Board of Directors as an independent director, effective immediately. Read more
  • The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) announced the results of its Board of Directors elections for the term beginning January 2021 and ending December 2022, including Paul Naudé reelected as Board president. Read more
  • Wolverine World Wide, Inc. announced the appointment of Matt Blonder as president, global e-commerce. Most recently, Blonder was global head of digital at Reebok, a division of Adidas. Read more
  • Macy’s, Inc. announced that Nata Dvir had been named chief merchandising officer of the Macy’s brand, effective February 1, 2021. Dvir currently serves as Macy’s senior vice president and general business manager for Beauty and Center Core merchandise. Read more
  • Wolverine World Wide, Inc. announced the appointment of Jim Zwiers as president, global operations group, responsible for portfolio-wide sourcing, logistics, distribution, customer service, and information technology. Zwiers succeeds Mike Jeppesen, who is retiring after more than 33 years in the footwear industry. Read more

Photo courtesy People Matters