by Larry Eder
Pat O’Malley, courtesy of Saucony
Pat O’Malley is the new brand president of Saucony, it was announced today. Mr. O’Malley succeeds Richie Woodworth, long time president of the brand, who has now taken over a group of Lifestyle brands owned by the parent company, Wolverine.
Pat O’Malley has risen through the ranks of several footwear brands, first starting at Nike, then moving to Reebok, and then, Saucony. While at Saucony, O’Malley has develop a fine team of running developers and designers, with a strong management team. The results? Some of the finest product in running. Saucony is in the thick of the battle for second position in the Running Specialty channel of running footwear, a sweet spot at the top of the $9 billion running footwear business, comprising of nearly $1.5 billion in footwear sales in North America, averaging over $100 in sales. Saucony continues to battle ASICS for number two with five brands battling for the top four positions.
Pat comes into his new position at a fascinating time in the industry. While some brands are looking to apps and technology to increase their presence in running, Saucony, like the other leaders, has focused on developing consistently great product and following that up with strong customer service.
We wish Pat O’Malley best wishes in his new endeavor. He has the best wishes of his friends in the industry, a close knit and competitive group.
Saucony is in fine hands.
SAUCONY ® ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF PAT O’MALLEY TO BRAND PRESIDENT
LEXINGTON, MA (January 14, 2016) – Saucony, a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW), and a leading global performance footwear and apparel brand, announced the appointment of Pat O’Malley to President of the Saucony brand, effective immediately. O’Malley succeeds Richie Woodworth, who was recently appointed to President of Wolverine Worldwide’s Lifestyle Group. In his new role, O’Malley will report directly to Jim Gabel, President of Wolverine Worldwide’s Performance Group.
O’Malley has more than 25 years of experience in the footwear industry, most recently as Saucony’s Senior Vice President for Global Product. During this time, O’Malley has developed game-changing products that have driven Saucony to be a leading brand in the performance running industry. O’Malley has also led the launches of Saucony’s award-winning ISOFIT® and EVERUN® performance technologies, while establishing one of the most innovative footwear and apparel teams in the industry. Prior to his 12 years with Saucony, O’Malley held various leadership positions with both Nike and Reebok.
“A veteran of the industry and Saucony brand, Pat O’Malley is an experienced leader who has continuously proven to build innovative and industry-leading teams” said Blake Krueger, Wolverine Worldwide’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. “As a strategic partner and determined leader, we are excited Pat will lead the Saucony brand. Wolverine’s vision is to build a family of the most admired performance and lifestyle brands on earth and we are fortunate to have Pat O’Malley continue to contribute to that goal in his new role.”
“At Saucony, we’re all about one thing−the runner−and empowering the human spirit through running,” said O’Malley. “It’s an incredible honor to lead this team, a team that is relentlessly committed to delivering leading-edge innovations that inspire the best running experience for runners everywhere. One thing I’ve always loved about my career is the opportunity to give back to the sport of running. This new opportunity gives me an even larger platform to do just that, inspiring runners of all levels to ‘find their strong’ as they enhance their running experience. I look forward to building on the great work the team has accomplished and taking our brand to the next level.”
