by Larry Eder
As brands evolve, in this extremely competitive landscape, the need for senior
management, with experience, becomes more and more apparent. Saucony
continues to fire on all cylinders, and as the brand positions itself for the next
several years of growth, CEO Richie Woodworth’s announcement about a
new CMO is an example of a commitment to that growth plan. RBR congratulate
Chris Lindner on his new position, wishing him the best of luck, and RBR looks forward to picking his brain in the near-future.
Chris Lindner, Senior VP/CMO, Saucony, photo courtesy of Saucony
SAUCONY® APPOINTS CHRIS LINDNER AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Seasoned industry leader positioned to drive brand‘s global marketing offense, create stronger consumer connections
LEXINGTON, MA (September 7, 2010) – Saucony, Inc, a
leading global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel,
today announced the appointment of Chris Lindner to the newly created
role of senior vice president/chief marketing officer. In this role,
Lindner will be responsible for providing strategic development and
execution of Saucony‘s global branding initiatives, including brand
positioning, marketing and retail strategies, as well as advertising,
general marketing communications and digital strategies. Effective
immediately, Lindner will report directly to Richie Woodworth,
president of Saucony.
In
making today’s announcement, Woodworth said: “Chris brings tremendous
value to the company. He’s an experienced and results-driven leader
with a proven track record of building global brands and creating
world-class consumer experiences. With his passion and expertise, Chris
is positioned to drive a focused and inspired marketing offense across
all of our global platforms.”
Linder brings over 20
years of experience building leading global brands in multiple
categories, including: footwear and apparel, sporting goods,
interactive entertainment, retail and e-commerce: and consumer packaged
goods.
Prior
to his new role at Saucony, Linder was vice president of global
marketing at Converse Inc., a subsidiary of Nike, Inc., where he
oversaw all marketing execution throughout North America as well as the
brand’s global regions. Linder joined Converse in 2007 as its first
vice president of international marketing after serving as vice
president of global marketing for NIke Bauer Hockey, as well as brand
director of Nike’s new media strategy. Just prior, Lindner directed
product marketing for the Electronic Arts’ Action Game group and prior
to that, Rollerblade, Inc.
Linder has a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.
Today’s announcement comes as Saucony’s momentum continues to accelerate:
- The company capped off a successful first half of 2010, once again outperforming the market with solid, double-digit growth.
- Saucony’s
footwear and apparel continues to be recognized by the industry for its
award-winning innovations: The ProGrid Kinvara, named “Best Debut” by Runner’s World magazine, has assumed a leadership position in the expanding minimalist segment. - The
brand’s sponsored athletes are winning medals on the global stage,
including 2008 U.S. Olympian Wallace Spearmon, Jr. clinching 200-meter
victories this summer at both the U.S. Outdoor Track & Field
Championships,
the AVIVA London Diamond League, and Molly Huddle setting an American
record over 5,000 meters at the Belgacom Van Damme Memorial in Brussels.
“Chris’
experience in building global brands and creating extraordinary
consumer connections with these brands will both amplify and elevate
Saucony’s marketing
efforts.
His leadership and drive are great cultural fits for us, and we look
forward to the positive impact he will bring to our brand and team as
we continue to inspire runners everywhere,” added Woodworth.
For more information, please contact Sharon Barbano at Saucony (617-824-6126),
sharon.barbano@saucony.com or Jeff Lawrence at Mullen (617-226-9945), jeff.lawrence@mullen.com.
About Saucony, Inc.:
Saucony, Inc., a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc., is a leading
global running lifestyle brand that fuses performance, innovation and
style to create compelling footwear and apparel with its widely
recognized brands Saucony and Saucony Originals. Founded in 1898,
Saucony continues to inspire runners everywhere with its award winning
innovations, including Flexion Plate™, ProGrid™, Arch-Lock®, and
ViZiPROâ„¢ apparel. For more information, go to www.saucony.com.
About Collective Brands, Inc.: Collective
Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle,
fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to
consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units
covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points
and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and
licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused
on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through
its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk®, Dexter®,
Champion®, Zoe & Zac™, the first-ever affordable green footwear
brand, and designer collections Lela Rose for Payless, Unforgettable
Moments by Lela Rose, Christian Siriano for Payless and STLP x Airwalk,
among others; Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused
on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality
children’s footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its
brands including Stride Rite®, Keds®, Sperry Top-Sider®, Robeez®, and
Saucony®, among others; and Collective Licensing International, the
brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such
youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Sims®, Lamar®
and LTD®. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the
Collective Brand’s units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.
