Wolverine World Wide, Inc. appointed Richie Woodworth to the position of president of the company's Lifestyle Group, which includes the Sperry, Stride Rite, Keds, and Hush Puppies brands, effective Jan. 3, 2016.
Woodworth has more than 30 years of experience in branded footwear and apparel, most recently leading the global growth of Wolverine Worldwide's Saucony brand one of the most innovative brands in the industry since 2006. Previously, Woodworth held various executive roles, including president of Tommy Hilfiger Footwear and president of the Greg Norman Collection at Reebok.
“Richie Woodworth is an experienced, strategic and determined leader who has continuously proven his ability to build brands and drive growth in some of the most competitive categories within the footwear and apparel industry,” stated Blake Krueger, Wolverine Worldwide's chairman, chief executive officer and president. “As president of Saucony, he has built a dynamic lifestyle business, a strong and growing international business, and successfully launched apparel and accessories all in complement to the brand's core running business. At Wolverine, we are fortunate to have a deep and seasoned team, and I couldn't be more pleased with this well-deserved promotion and am excited to expand Richie's leadership and impact across the broader Company.”
Woodworth commented, “Sperry, Stride Rite, Keds, and Hush Puppies all have deep, authentic brand equities from which to draw as we look to drive significant growth around the world. For me, growth has always stemmed from understanding consumers' needs and developing carefully considered and innovative products, combined with compelling storytelling. I am excited about this new opportunity and privileged to join Blake and the executive management team as we work to build our family of brands around the world.”
In his new role, Woodworth will directly report to Blake Krueger and replace Andy Simister, who is leaving the company to return to the United Kingdom for personal reasons.
