Under Armour, Inc. is appointing Eric Liedtke as EVP of brand strategy following the completion of its acquisition of Unless Collective, Inc., a zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand. The transaction is expected to be completed later this week.
After a 26-year career at Adidas Group, culminating in roles as brand president and Executive Board member from 2014 to 2019, Liedtke and industry executives from Adidas, Quicksilver, and R/GA set out in 2020 to found Unless and pioneer a better way for the industry to prove that plants could replace plastics in the creation of apparel and footwear.
Liedtke will be globally accountable for amplifying Under Armour’s brand identity and storytelling, its comprehensive strategic planning process, and executing transformational initiatives that accelerate growth for UA while continuing to lead and curate Unless. He will report to President & CEO Kevin Plank and oversee UA’s brand presence through category marketing, consumer intelligence, creative, marketing operations, loyalty, social media, sports marketing, and all strategy functions.
“We are thrilled to welcome Eric and the Unless team to Under Armour,” commented Plank. “With Eric’s best-in-class history of driving exceptional growth in the branded sports industry and an established reputation as an exceptional leader, his experience will be a tremendous asset in galvanizing Under Armour’s brand strategy, refining our operating model, and ensuring that every facet of consumer engagement is moving our brand forward. Complementing our strengthened leadership team – Eric is a rare multi-disciplinary professional whose track record of consumer-centric growth will help drive our company’s evolution during this unique time. I look forward to working with Eric in this important new role.”
“Sports, inspiration, and culture bring people together, and I am honored by the opportunity to contribute to Under Armour’s long legacy as an iconic brand that connects across these dimensions,” said Liedtke. “I see tremendous opportunity to elevate the brand, enable deeper loyalty, and drive growth among new and existing consumers. I am excited to work with a visionary founder in Kevin and the executive leadership team to redefine and amplify the UA story and deliver an improved trajectory of growth over the long term.”
Before co-founding and becoming CEO of Unless in 2020, Liedtke reportedly built a storied career at Adidas, including senior positions in footwear marketing and executive roles as VP of brand marketing, SVP of Sports Performance brand marketing and head of Sports Performance, culminating in the role as brand president and Executive Board member.
While brand president, Liedtke was reportedly credited with orchestrating one of the most significant turnarounds in the company’s history through the creation and implementation of a five-year strategic plan that delivered more than $8 billion of revenue growth. UA said his strategic and cultural leadership enabled Adidas to break new ground in material, innovation, sustainability, and streetwear, creating conditions for consistent growth and largely responsible for the launches of the Boost footwear platform, Yeezy collaboration, and Parley line of sustainability-driven products, which were built from recycled ocean plastics.
Liedtke holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is an avid surfer, outdoorsman and fitness addict.
Images courtesy Under Armour, Unless Collective, Inc.
