Wolverine Worldwide makes new leadership appointments
Wolverine Worldwide, the owner of brands such as Sweaty Betty, Saucony and Hush Puppies, has announced a series of senior leadership appointments to help drive future growth.
The company has named Chris Hufnagel as president following his 14-year career with the business, which has included serving as global brand president of CAT Footwear, global brand president of Merrell, and most recently as president of the company’s Active Group. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at Under Armour, Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch.
As the company’s president, Hufnagel will continue to report to Brendan Hoffman, Wolverine Worldwide’s chief executive.
Hoffman said: “Our strategy for long-term growth includes building stronger brands that resonate more meaningfully with our consumers around the globe. Chris’ diverse and broad experience as the leader of our largest global brands make him the best choice to lead the implementation of this strategy across our entire footwear brand portfolio as president and take a broader leadership role at the company.”
Wolverine Worldwide has also promoted Janice Tennant to serve as global brand president of Merrell and Rob Griffiths to the role of global brand president of Saucony.
Tennant has worked as chief marketing officer of Merrell since 2020 after joining Wolverine Worldwide as chief marketing officer of CAT Footwear in 2018. Prior to that, she held a series of senior marketing and other roles with Kimberly-Clark and PepsiCo.
Meanwhile Griffiths has been working with Wolverine Worldwide as managing director of EMEA since 2021. Before joining the company in 2013, he spent 15 years with Esprit and Umbro.
Hoffman added: “Merrell and Saucony are two of the brands we believe have the largest global growth potential within the portfolio, and we intend to focus our efforts and investments on these key brands. I’m extremely excited to promote Janice and Rob, and I am confident these strong, experienced leaders will help drive our global strategy and position Wolverine Worldwide for long-term success.”
