Under Armour, Inc. announced several key senior leadership changes, effective February 2, to strengthen the brand and its global product and marketplace engines.
Kara Trent, current president of UA Americas, has been appointed chief merchandising officer; Adam Peake, SVP of Strategy, becomes president of the Americas; and Yassine Saidi, chief product officer, will move to a senior advisor role focused on design and creative.
“Our transformation is gaining momentum as we take deliberate actions to sharpen our focus, strengthen our operational rigor and elevate how we serve athletes,” said company Founder, President and CEO Kevin Plank. “These moves bring clarity, cohesion and energy to the work ahead. I’m confident in the leadership we’re putting in place and inspired by the path we’re building together.”
As Chief Merchandising Officer, Kara Trent will lead category management and go-to-market initiatives, oversee product line architecture, assortment planning, and channel segmentation, driving “end-to-end category performance across the brand’s portfolio.” In the CMO role, Trent will also drive revenue and margin optimization by “aligning consumer demand with product investment, improving SKU productivity and strengthening marketplace and channel profitability through disciplined execution.”
Trent brings 24 years of industry experience in buying, planning, merchandising, and regional leadership. She has been with Under Armour for nearly 12 years, most recently as president for the Americas, leading the company’s largest region. Previously, she was managing director for UA’s EMEA region where she “delivered sustained growth and premium distribution, following roles as head of merchandising and planning for the EMEA and senior director of wholesale merchandising and visual merchandising.”
Prior to UA, Trent spent nearly eight years at Puma, most recently as senior director of Merchandising, Lifestyle Footwear and Apparel. She also had a five-year stint as a buyer for Reebok.
Adam Peake, named president for the Americas, will lead UA’s North and South America business, overseeing marketplace strategy, distribution and omni-channel growth.
With over 25 years of leadership experience, including 16 years at Under Armour in senior roles spanning U.S. sales, global marketing, footwear, and sport category leadership, Peake is said to “bring a strong understanding of how brand strategy drives commercial performance.”
Peake returned to Under Armour a year ago as SVP of Strategy and Go-to-Market. He left the company in 2016 after serving 15 years in various roles of increasing responsibility and was later named EVP of Global Marketing and Category Management. Peake held prior sales roles at Reebok, Starter and Sheridan & Associates.
“His cross-functional experience, deep institutional knowledge of Under Armour’s consumer, athlete, and retail ecosystem, and ability to integrate product, marketing, and marketplace strategies uniquely position him to lead the Americas business, strengthen brand relevance, accelerate omni-channel growth, and deliver sustainable results at scale,” the company said.
As Under Armour enters its next phase, Chief Product Officer Yassine Saidi will transition to a senior advisor role focused on the continuity of design and creative. Since joining Under Armour in 2024, Saidi has reportedly “played a pivotal role in evolving the brand’s design language, sharpening its aesthetic sensibility. and elevating performance expression across products and platforms.”
Images courtesy Under Armour ( From top-to-bottom: Kara Trent, Adam Peake, Yassine Saidi)
