Wolverine Worldwide has appointed Stewart Whitney as Vice President and Managing Director – Asia Pacific. Stewart will report directly to the International Group President, Nick Ottenwess.
As part of the WOLVERINE WAY FORWARD – the company’s holistic transformation effort focused on enhancing near-term and long-term performance – the company has identified international growth, specifically China, as a high priority for the organization. In this newly created role, Stewart’s focus will be on developing and implementing the company’s strategic direction for Asia Pacific across its portfolio of brands and driving region-specific initiatives to achieve targeted and long-term growth.
Mr. Whitney comes to Wolverine with 20 years of experience in footwear, apparel and consumer goods, most recently serving as Global Brand President at Timberland with responsibility for the global brand strategy, product creation and marketing communication development. Prior to his role as Brand President, Stewart led Timberland’s Asia Pacific region as Managing Director. In his 16-year tenure at Timberland, Stewart delivered sustained revenue and profit growth with a marked focus on accelerating international opportunities, brand building and leading strategic innovation. Mr. Whitney has also led initiatives in apparel, retail, e-commerce and consumer relationship management.
Commenting on Stewart’s appointment, Nick Ottenwess stated, “As an organization, we are focused on continuing to expand our international growth. China will represent nearly a third of all global footwear growth over the next five years and the market holds significant opportunities for our brands. The addition of Stewart to an already talented team will help us capitalize on one of our largest priorities as a company.”
Mr. Whitney has a Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and obtained a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
