Brown Shoe names new leadership at sporting goods division

ST. LOUIS — Brown Shoe Company announced that it has made four strategic additions to the leadership team within its American Sporting Goods division, appointing James Hoff as VP sales across all ASG brands, Alan Vickers as VP international, Brad Little as VP and brand manager Avia and Nevados, and Jorge Cabrera as VP athletic product development.

Hoff will be responsible for sales and distribution strategies across the entire ASG family of brands, working closely with VP sales Bob Echterling. He has nearly 20 years of experience with Asics America, most recently as VP sales athletic footwear, apparel, accessories, where he led sales management teams for North, Central and South America. Vickers will guide the division's international expansion by refining and broadening retail distribution and merchandising. He brings to Brown Shoe a thorough knowledge of the international sports and consumer goods markets honed through a series of management positions with companies like Reebok, Nautilus and Starbuck's throughout North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including four years as president of Nike France.

Little's responsibilities for the Avia and Nevados brands include product development leadership and advancing brand strategy through consumer insights. He brings to Brown Shoe more than 25 years of brand management, sales, marketing and product development experience in the athletic footwear and apparel industries with Le Chameau premium handcrafted rubber boots, Decker's Outdoor, Columbia Sportswear and Nike. Little started in the industry with Adidas, growing the brand's running business in a series of positions over seven years. Cabrera joined Brown Shoe in 2010 to oversee product development and design of athletic footwear across several healthy living brands, and now moves to focus exclusively on ASG. His background includes more than 22 years of experience in athletic footwear and apparel manufacturing, operations, product development, and logistics, most recently as VP operations and Manufacturing at Brooks Sports. Prior to joining Brooks Sports in 1992, Cabrera held production-focused positions at Wolverine Worldwide and LA Gear.