In conjunction with reporting its financial performance for the fourth quarter and the year (see here), Timberland announced the departure of the company’s COO, Ken Pucker, who had been with the company for 15 years. TBL said his departure had been anticipated for nearly a year and the executive team had been working on a succession plan which included a major shift in the company’s management and reporting structure. Beginning in the second quarter, Timberland will shift to a financial reporting structure that mirrors four newly-established consumer categories — Authentic Youth, Casual Gear, Outdoor Group, and Industrial. Each category will have a separate president who reports directly to CEO Jeffery Schwarz.

The Authentic Youth business was previously called the boot business or the urban business, but the company was adamant about the fact that this is not “repackaging a challenging business with a new name and simply hoping for a better result.” Timberland has appointed Gene McCarthy to head the category.

Casual Gear was described as TBL’s largest consumer group globally. The division will be headed by Mike Harrison, who formally led TBL’s worldwide sales and marketing efforts. Timberland’s growth strategy for Casual Gear focuses on three key fronts: narrow consumer focus, elevate the brand’s position and presence with an increased focus on developing a consumer-direct presence, and continue expansion of brand presence globally.

The Outdoor Performance Group will be responsible for growing both the Timberland brand and its portfolio of other brands through the outdoor specialty channel. The division will be headed by Gary Smith.

The Industrial group, which is essentially Timberland PRO, will be run by Scott Thresher.