Wolverine World Wide, Inc. reported today that its Chairman and retired CEO, Blake Krueger, will retire from the Board on May 4. Tom Long, the Board’s lead independent director, will assume the role of Chairman on May 4. The company also elected three new board members—Stacia Andersen, Jodi Bricker and DeMonty Price.
Krueger has been with WWW for approximately 30 years, through executive roles culminating in his hire as CEO and Board member in 2007, then as CEO and Chairman of the Board in 2010. He retired as CEO at the end of 2021 and has continued leading the company’s Board of Directors as Executive Chairman in 2022 and 2023.
Long joined Wolverine Worldwide’s Board in 2011 after a 30-year career that included CEO of MillerCoors, LLC, CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of Miller Brewing Company and in several senior global and marketing roles at Coca-Cola. He was appointed Lead Independent Director of WWW’s Board in 2022 and previously served as Chair of the Compensation Committee.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Blake for his many years of dedication and service to the company and its shareholders,” said Long. “During his long tenure, the company transformed from a traditional footwear wholesaler into a consumer-focused, global organization with one of the world’s largest portfolios of footwear and lifestyle brands. I am honored to succeed him as Chairman as part of our planned leadership transition.”
Brendan Hoffman, WWW’s president and CEO, added, “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with and learn from Blake since I joined the company in August 2020. I look forward to building on the strong foundation he laid and working with the world-class team he assembled to elevate Wolverine Worldwide’s position as a global leader in the industry.”
“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to have served Wolverine Worldwide for the past 30 years and to have played a role in the company’s successful 140-year history,” said Krueger. “I am excited about the company’s future and know that under Brendan’s leadership and the strategic guidance of Tom and the Board of Directors, and with the efforts of our global team, Wolverine Worldwide and its shareholders are in great hands and well-positioned for continued growth and success.”
The company also announced the appointment of Stacia Andersen, Jodi Bricker and DeMonty Price to its Board of Directors, effective March 14.
Andersen is PetSmart, LLC’s executive vice president and chief customer officer. From 2019 to 2021, she was PetSmart’s executive vice president of Merchandising and Customer Experience. Before that, Andersen was brand president of Abercrombie & Fitch and Abercrombie kids at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Earlier in her career, she held various leadership and operational roles at Target Corporation.
Bricker is the CEO of Quay Australia and has held that role since 2019. From 2016 to 2018, she was the executive vice president of Merchandising, Inventory Management and eCommerce of Athleta, Inc., and before that, was with Old Navy as executive vice president and general manager among other leadership roles. Bricker held various leadership roles at Levi Strauss & Co earlier in her career.
Price recently retired after five years as the president and chief operating, Service and Values officer of Restoration Hardware and before that, held a series of progressively more responsible executive roles, including senior vice president of Retail Galleries and Operations. Before joining RH in 2006, Price held various leadership roles with Williams-Sonoma and Gap, Inc.
David McCreight, a director since 2019, announced his resignation from the Board of Directors effective May 4 to devote his full time to his role as executive chairman of Lulu’s Fashion Lounge Holdings, Inc.
Wolverine World Wide’s brands include Merrell, Saucony, Sperry, Sweaty Betty, Hush Puppies, Wolverine, Chaco, Bates, Hytest, and Stride Rite. WWW is also the global footwear licensee of Cat and Harley-Davidson.
Photo courtesy WWW
