ROCKFORD, Mich.: Wolverine World Wide, Inc., which operates one of the world’s largest portfolios of footwear and lifestyle brands, Tuesday announced the appointment of Brendan Hoffman as its next president and his appointment as a member of its board of directors, both effective on his expected start date of September 8.
Hoffman will report to Blake W. Krueger, Wolverine Worldwide’s current chairman, CEO and president. He is expected to transition over a period of time to become the future CEO of the company.
Hoffman brings 30 years of merchandising, digital marketing and omni-channel consumer direct experience from a variety of well-known brands and retailers. Most recently, he was CEO of Vince Holding Corp., a publicly traded global contemporary fashion brand. Prior to joining Vince in 2015, Hoffman was CEO and president of Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. and president and CEO of Lord & Taylor LLC. Earlier in his career, he was CEO and president of Neiman Marcus Direct.
“Brendan is a very strong addition to the Wolverine Worldwide senior management team and his proven leadership and track record makes him the ideal person to become our next President and eventually lead Wolverine Worldwide into the next chapter of its journey,” said Krueger, who has served as Wolverine’s CEO and President since 2007.
Tuesday’s announcement is the result of a multi-year succession and search process. “I believe we currently have the strongest and deepest leadership team in the industry, and Brendan brings a valuable set of skills and experiences that will help our brands capitalize on the many opportunities that lie ahead. He brings a passion and strategic vision for consumer direct and omni-channel retail that is well-suited for the digital pivot and accelerated changes in consumer behavior that are now taking place in the global marketplace.”
In his role as president, Hoffman will focus on driving growth across the company’s portfolio of lifestyle brands. The key leaders responsible for Wolverine Worldwide’s brands, digital execution, advanced concepts and innovation, consumer insights and merchandising will report to Hoffman, including Jim Zwiers, Chris Hufnagel, Joelle Grunberg, Tom Kennedy and Angelo Ng.
“I’m pleased and honored to have been selected as Wolverine’s next president,” Hoffman said. “I look forward to working with the Company’s incredible team to build on the current momentum in the business and accelerate the growth of its brands in the new global environment. As a team, we will embrace a consumer direct mindset while we forge even stronger connections between global consumers and our brands. I have worked my whole career for an opportunity like this one, and I am looking forward to partnering with Blake and the Wolverine team to help drive the business forward.”
