Wolverine World Wide names first chief strategy officer
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. has promoted talent to its C-suite for a newly created role.
Company veteran Brett Parent has been named chief strategy officer of the footwear company, whose portfolio includes Merrell, Saucony, Sweaty Betty, Hush Puppies, Wolverine, Chaco, Bates, Hytest and Stride Rite. Parent will be responsible for developing and driving the company’s enterprise strategy, along with assessing growth opportunities for the company’s brand portfolio across a global footprint spanning 170 countries and territories.
In addition to leading the strategy function and team, Parent will also oversee Wolverine World Wide’s consumer marketing team, which is responsible for supporting enterprise-wide e-commerce growth initiatives across the portfolio.
Parent has spent more than 18 years with Wolverine World Wide. Most recently, he served as VP of strategy, taking on roles of increasing responsibility since 2006.
“I am honored and grateful to serve as the company’s first chief strategy officer,” said Parent. “We have great brands with tremendous opportunity, and I look forward to building on our current momentum with the global teams to realize Wolverine World Wide’s full potential around the world.”
[READ MORE: Merrell names Champion, Foot Locker vet as new chief marketing officer]
He will continue reporting directly to Chris Hufnagel, president and CEO of Wolverine World Wide, and serve on the company’s executive team.
“In his time with the company, Brett’s seen virtually every aspect of our global operations and he has a long track record of success in both building great teams and driving the business,” said Hufnagel. “Perhaps most importantly, Brett has been a key architect, trusted advisor, and integral leader of our company’s turnaround effort over the past 18 months. We look forward to continuing to benefit from his deep experience and strong partnerships to help identify and drive our strategic objectives and deliver better returns for our shareholders.”
