New Era names new president, COO
A global sports and lifestyle apparel brand is making changes to its C-suite.
New Era has promoted Bruce Popko, senior VP of global licensing & business development to the role of president, while Lorenz Gan, chief digital & information officer, has been appointed chief operating officer.
Additionally, Dave Heimburg, VP of global quality, has been appointed VP of global supply chain, and Jennifer Lawrence, senior director of IT, has been appointed VP of IT. President Jim Patterson, general manager of North America Steve Gallo, and VP of global supply chain Josh Creasman have departed the company, effective April 27.
The C-suite shake up comes as New Era will open a flagship in New York City's SoHo shopping district on April 27. The location marks New Era’s first standalone store in the U.S., outside of a store connected to the company’s global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y.
Popko currently leads New Era's development of new league and team licenses, and spearheaded the strategic integration of '47 while expanding key relationships, including with college athletics, Adidas and numerous F1 teams. Prior to joining New Era in 2024, he held senior leadership roles across operations, finance, and business development, including serving as CEO of Major League Pickleball, senior VP at IMG (now WME Group, LLC.), and in executive positions with NFL teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.
Gan currently leads New Era's enterprise technology and digital strategy, and is credited with playing a key role in the early-stage growth of New Era's e-commerce platform. As COO, Gan will lead global operations, including supply chain and information technology, and will help lead the execution of the company's strategic priorities. Prior to joining New Era in 2016, he led information technology initiatives at Burberry and spent time at both its New York and London headquarters.
Heimburg has been with New Era for more than 30 years. During this tenure, he has worked across key functions including manufacturing, customer service, and supply chain management. As VP of global supply chain, Heimburg will lead New Era's global supply chain operations, with responsibility for driving efficiency, optimizing sourcing and distribution, and supporting the company's continued growth.
Lawrence has been with New Era for nearly a decade. As VP of IT, she will lead New Era's information technology organization, with responsibility for advancing digital capabilities and strengthening systems infrastructure.
"The appointments being announced today include a group of leaders at New Era who have clearly proven that they have the experience and skills to operate at the highest level as we look to build on our global market leadership position,” said New Era CEO Chris Koch. “With '47 [acquired in 2024] now fully integrated into our global business, I look forward to strategizing with this new team and finding innovative ways to embrace our heritage and deliver for our partners, employees, customers and investors.”
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Headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., New Era products are sold in more than 125 countries. The company has a retail network of over 1,000 stores worldwide.
