Retail vet to take reins at Wolverine Worldwide

Wolverine Worldwide is getting a new chief executive who previously held the same title at three different retail companies.  

The company, which operates one of the world’s largest portfolios of footwear brands, announced that Brendan Hoffman, president and board member, will also become CEO at the end of the year. He will succeed Blake Krueger, who joined the company in 1993 and has been CEO since 2007 and chairman since 2009. Krueger will assume the newly created role of executive chairman. 

Hoffman, 52, joined Wolverine Worldwide as president in September 2020 with oversight of the company’s brands and direct-to-consumer business.  Prior to that, Hoffman was CEO of fashion brand Vince Holding Corp. Before joining Vince in 2015, Hoffman was CEO and president of The Bon-Ton Stores, and president and CEO of Lord & Taylor. In addition, he was CEO and president of Neiman Marcus Direct earlier in his career, 

Hoffman’s initial focus at Wolverine has been pursuing growth initiatives across its brands — Merrell, Saucony, Sperry, Hush Puppies, Wolverine, Keds, Stride Rite, Chaco and more — and digital operations. The company, a long-time wholesale powerhouse, has been working to build its direct-to-consumer business.