Under Armour, Inc. appointed Yassine Saidi as chief product officer and Kara Trent as president of the Americas. Saidi will join the company on January 29, and Trent, managing director of the company’s EMEA region, will assume her new role in February. Both will report to company President and CEO Stephanie Linnartz.
“In the past year, we have added incredible executive talent to Under Armour, and I am confident that Yassine and Kara’s demonstrated track records of leadership and expertise will further strengthen our ability to build an even more powerful brand,” said Linnartz. “We will continue to advance our growth strategies, driving greater demand for the brand through groundbreaking innovation and design.”
Saidi reportedly brings nearly 20 years of industry brand experience to the role, including having worked at Adidas and Puma, and is said to have “deep roots and accomplishments in shaping the sneaker market and developing authentic performance gear.”
As CPO, Saidi will build product strategies focused on apparel, footwear and accessories. He will manage the overall global product vision and product strategy for Under Armour.
“Under Armour has a long and rich heritage as an innovator in sports, driven to fuel athletic performance. I see the massive opportunity to harness UA’s constant innovation and authenticity on-field with athletes to grow and evolve the business off-field. I am incredibly excited to join Under Armour at such a pivotal moment in its history,” said Saidi.
Trent, who joined Under Armour in 2015, has been responsible for the Under Armour EMEA business since 2021, managing the company’s second-largest region by sales volume.
Under Armour said in a release that Trent has driven a “performance-based culture focused on accountability, consistency, and execution, contributing to consistent, double-digit revenue growth during her tenure.” In parallel, her leadership has reportedly strengthened the brand’s presence across the region through “disciplined product segmentation, focused marketplace management and robust marketing strategies to create consistent demand for the brand as it continues to scale.” Trent will assume the role held by David Baxter, who leaves the company on February 16.
Before her position as managing director of EMEA, Trent worked in multiple roles, including merchandising, planning and various functions in Under Armour’s North American business. Before Under Armour, she worked in merchandising, planning and buying in her eight-year tenure at Puma and 5 years at Reebok.
Under Armour has strengthened its leadership team in the past year with other senior appointments, including Jim Dausch, chief customer officer; Shawn Curran, chief supply chain officer; John Varvatos, head of design; and Amanda Miller, chief communications officer.
The company said adding new talent will continue as Under Armour has initiated a search for a chief marketing officer and senior vice president for footwear.
Images courtesy Under Armour, LinkedIn
