Under Armour taps Adidas vet for key post, acquires sustainable fashion brand
Under Armour has named a former Adidas executive to its leadership team.
The athletic performance apparel and footwear company also is acquiring Unless Collective, a zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand co-founded and led by Eric Liedtke. The deal is expected to be completed later this week at which time Liedtke will join Under Armour as executive VP of brand strategy.
In other changes, Under Armour chief consumer officer Jim Dausch is leaving the company at the end of August "to pursue other opportunities," according to an SEC filing.
Liedtke had a 26-year career at Adidas Group, culminating in his roles as brand president and executive board member from 2014 to 2019. In 2020, he and industry executives from Adidas, Quicksilver and R/GA founded Unless with the goal of pioneering “a better way for the industry to prove that plants could replace plastics in the creation of apparel and footwear,” Under Armour said in a release.
Liedtke will be globally accountable for amplifying Under Armour's brand identity and storytelling, its strategic planning process and executing transformational initiatives that accelerate growth for the company while continuing to lead and curate Unless. He will report to Kevin Plank, who returned as Under Armour president and CEO in April, and oversee the company's brand presence through category marketing, consumer intelligence, creative, marketing operations, loyalty, social media, sports marketing and all strategy functions.
"We are thrilled to welcome Eric and the Unless team to Under Armour,” said Plank. "With Eric's best-in-class history of driving exceptional growth in the branded sports industry and an established reputation as an exceptional leader, his experience will be a tremendous asset in galvanizing Under Armour's brand strategy, refining our operating model, and ensuring that every facet of consumer engagement is moving our brand forward.”
Inspired by the Pacific Northwest and influenced by the utility and style of skate, outdoor, and cold-water surf, Unless bills itself as creating clothing and apparel "built from the elements that can be worn in the elements and safely returned to the elements."
“Sports, inspiration, and culture bring people together, and I am honored by the opportunity to contribute to Under Armour's long legacy as an iconic brand that connects across these dimensions," said Liedtke. "I see tremendous opportunity to elevate the brand, enable deeper loyalty, and drive growth among new and existing consumers.”
