US' Under Armour announces changes to executive leadership team

Under Armour has announced a series of senior executive leadership team changes supporting the company's Protect This House 3 (PTH3) strategy. PTH3, announced in May, is a new set of priorities designed to drive more consistent profitable growth and returns for shareholders over the long term. PTH3 focuses on driving greater global brand heat and delivering elevated design and products to reaccelerate growth in the United States while maintaining positive international momentum.

As a part of these changes, Under Armour has appointed Jim Dausch as executive vice president, chief consumer officer, effective July 24, and promoted Danny Miles to executive vice president, chief technology officer. The company also announced that chief operating officer Colin Browne plans to step down later this autumn, and chief product officer Lisa Collier will leave the company in August to pursue other opportunities.

"As we continue strengthening our foundation to transform Under Armour faster by driving sharper focus and execution against PTH3, we are delighted to welcome Jim Dausch to our executive leadership team," said Under Armour president & CEO Stephanie Linnartz. "Jim is a seasoned executive with deep experience leading transformational initiatives, including digital expansion, global loyalty programs, and launching new businesses and brands – I am confident that his world-class leadership will help unify our team of extremely talented teammates to help drive the next phase of our growth."

As chief consumer officer, Dausch will lead the company's global brand, marketing, digital engagement, and customer experience across all commerce channels. He will report directly to CEO Stephanie Linnartz. Dausch joins Under Armour from Marriott International, where he currently serves as global chief product and digital officer, leading the company's direct digital channels and its most significant business transformation initiative; a multi-year programme to modernise the company's technology ecosystem to create a better customer experience and drive more revenue. In his more than 20 years at Marriott, Dausch has held positions across multiple disciplines, including sales & marketing, brand, corporate finance, operations, and franchising.

Under Armour's chief operating officer Colin Browne will step down from his role this autumn to pursue other opportunities. Browne joined the company in 2016 and helped modernise Under Armour's digital go-to-market strategy and direct-to-consumer model and transformed its supply chain organization, leading to significant margin improvement and operating efficiency. Additionally, Browne was interim chief executive officer from June 2022 through February 2023.

"I would like to thank Colin for his leadership at Under Armour and his partnership in helping lay out the foundations of PTH3," said Linnartz. "Colin has played an integral role in Under Armour's transformation, and his leadership, among other things, played a critical role in navigating significant supply chain challenges during the global COVID-19 pandemic."

Instead of a COO replacement, the company has initiated a search for a chief supply chain officer.

Additionally, the company announced that Danny Miles had been promoted to executive vice president, chief technology officer, reporting directly to Linnartz. Miles joined Under Armour in 2021 and leads the company's global IT teams, information security, enterprise data management & analytics, enterprise architecture, technology management & operations, corporate teammate services, enterprise applications, and digital storefront functions.

Lisa Collier, who has served as Under Armour's chief product officer since 2020, plans to leave Under Armour in August to pursue other opportunities. The company has initiated an external search for a new chief product officer.

"On behalf of all of the teammates at Under Armour, we wish Lisa the best in her future endeavours. We look forward to continue building, evolving, and enhancing our product lineup based on the foundations she helped establish,” Linnartz continued.

Effective July 3, Dan Leraris, Under Armour's head of apparel, will begin serving as the company's interim CPO.