Industry Veteran and Former adidas Group
Executive Will Join the Company
Following the Acquisition of UNLESS COLLECTIVE, INC
BALTIMORE, Md., Aug. 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA) today announced
that Eric Liedtke will join the
company as Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy following the
completion of its acquisition of UNLESS COLLECTIVE, INC (UNLESS), a
zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand. The transaction is
expected to be completed later this week.
After a 26-year career at adidas Group (adidas), culminating in
his roles as Brand President and
Executive Board Member from 2014 to 2019, Liedtke and industry
executives from adidas, Quicksilver, and R/GA set out in 2020 to
found UNLESS and pioneer a better way for the industry to prove
that plants could replace plastics in the creation of apparel and
footwear.
Eric will serve as Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy
and be globally accountable for amplifying Under Armour's brand
identity and storytelling, its comprehensive strategic planning
process, and executing transformational initiatives that accelerate
growth for UA while continuing to lead and curate, UNLESS. He will
report to President & CEO Kevin
Plank and oversee UA's brand presence through category
marketing, consumer intelligence, creative, marketing operations,
loyalty, social media, sports marketing, and all strategy
functions.
"We are thrilled to welcome Eric and the UNLESS team to Under
Armour. With Eric's best-in-class history of driving exceptional
growth in the branded sports industry and an established reputation
as an exceptional leader, his experience will be a tremendous asset
in galvanizing Under Armour's brand strategy, refining our
operating model, and ensuring that every facet of consumer
engagement is moving our brand forward," said Under Armour
President & Chief Executive Officer Kevin Plank. "Complementing our strengthened
leadership team – Eric is a rare multi-disciplinary professional
whose track record of consumer-centric growth will help drive our
company's evolution during this unique time. I look forward to
working with Eric in this important new role."
"Sports, inspiration, and culture bring people together, and I
am honored by the opportunity to contribute to Under Armour's long
legacy as an iconic brand that connects across these dimensions,"
said Under Armour Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy
Eric Liedtke. "I see tremendous
opportunity to elevate the brand, enable deeper loyalty, and drive
growth among new and existing consumers. I am excited to work with
a visionary founder in Kevin and the executive leadership team to
redefine and amplify the UA story and deliver an improved
trajectory of growth over the long term."
Eric Liedtke Background
Before co-founding and becoming Chief Executive Officer of
UNLESS in 2020, Eric Liedtke built a
storied career at adidas, including senior positions in footwear
marketing and executive roles as VP of Brand Marketing, SVP of
Sports Performance Brand Marketing and Head of Sports Performance,
finishing as Brand President and
Executive Board Member. While Brand
President, he is credited with orchestrating one of the most
significant turnarounds in the company's history through the
creation and implementation of a five-year strategic plan that
delivered more than $8 billion of
revenue growth. His strategic and cultural leadership enabled
adidas to break new ground in material, innovation, sustainability,
and streetwear, creating conditions for consistent growth and
largely responsible for the launches of the Boost footwear
platform, Yeezy collaboration, and Parley line of
sustainability-driven products, which were built from recycled
ocean plastics. Liedtke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from
the University of Wisconsin-Madison and
is an avid surfer, outdoorsman, and fitness addict.
About UNLESS COLLECTIVE, INC
UNLESS COLLECTIVE, INC (UNLESS) is the world's first all-plant,
zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand. Inspired by the Pacific
Northwest and influenced by the utility and style of skate,
outdoor, and cold-water surf, UNLESS creates clothing and apparel
built from the elements that can be worn in the elements and safely
returned to the elements. UNLESS is a collective of innovators,
engineers, artists, and activists collaborating to operate the
first regenerative fashion platform – connecting material, design,
manufacturing, and composting to use plant-based innovation and
production ingenuity to solve for a plastic-free future.
Visit https://unlesscollective.com for more
information.
About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is a leading inventor,
marketer, and distributor of branded athletic performance apparel,
footwear, and accessories. Designed to empower human performance,
Under Armour's innovative products and experiences are engineered
to make athletes better. For further information, please visit
http://about.underarmour.com.
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SOURCE Under Armour, Inc.