The past year brought another round of turnover among chief executive officers at major footwear brands and retailers, including Puma, , Converse and REI Co-op.
In some cases, the changes could be tied to lagging financial numbers, as companies grappled this year with shifting consumer tastes and skyrocketing tariffs on U.S. imports. Other leadership swaps resulted from acquisitions — as was the case at Foot Locker, for instance — while others were due to more traditional circumstances, such as a predecessor’s retirement.
Overall, CEO turnover at U.S. companies has been trending down this year, according to global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. In a report released in early December, the company noted that as of October, 1,760 CEOs had left their posts, down 3.5 percent from the same period in 2024.
That trend continues in the consumer products industry, which saw 56 CEO exits through October, down 19 percent from the previous year.
The retail industry, however, has experienced much more volatility with 43 CEO exits year-to-date. That’s a 34 percent increase from those recorded through October 2024.
Below, FN highlights some of the most notable CEO changes among footwear manufacturers and retailers in 2025.
Arthur Hoeld
Courtesy of Puma
In an unexpected move, Puma SE chief executive officer Arne Freundt stepped down from his top role in April. According to the German sportswear company, Freundt’s exit was “due to differing views on strategy execution” and he left the company despite having signed a four-year contract in 2023 to serve as CEO.
Freundt was replaced by Arthur Hoeld, who took on the role as chairman and CEO on July 1. Hoeld joined Puma from Adidas, where he most recently served as an executive board member responsible for global sales. The C-suite change came amid slowing sales for the athletic giant. In his first statement to shareholders in October, Hoeld said his strategy entails reducing Puma’s reliance on wholesale in favor of expanding its direct-to-consumer channels, both online and in brick-and-mortar.
Aaron Cain
Converse
In July, Nike brought in a new chief executive officer for Converse, which has been somewhat of an underachiever in terms of its revenue contribution to the company over the years. Aaron Cain, a 21-year Nike Inc. veteran, took over the top job at Converse. He succeeded Jared Carver, who decided to leave the brand after only two years as CEO. The announcement came via an internal memo from Nike president and CEO Elliott Hill, who has been making sweeping changes to his leadership roster across all of the company’s divisions since assuming the helm in October 2024.
Cain has his work cut out for him at Converse. This month, Nike Inc. reported that revenues for Converse were $300 million in the fiscal second quarter, down 30 percent on a reported basis, due to declines across all territories.
FOOT LOCKER
Mary Dillon.
Akilah Townsend/Courtesy Photo
The retail chain saw a major change in leadership in September, following the completion of its $2.4 billion acquisition by Dick’s Sporting Goods. Foot Locker chief executive officer Mary Dillon and president Franklin Bracken both exited the company. In their place, Dick’s Sporting Goods executive chairman Ed Stack is leading the global Foot Locker businesses in partnership with two new presidents: Ann Freeman, president of North America; and Matthew Barnes, president of international.
Freeman’s pick is a bit controversial given her past at Nike. A Swoosh veteran, Freeman, previously known as Ann Hebert, resigned from her role at Nike in 2021, a few days after Bloomberg Businessweek released a cover story featuring Hebert’s son, Joe, who ran a sneaker resale business. The story discovered that Joe was reselling shoes that were being purchased, in some cases, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, with his mother’s corporate card.
But since the controversy, Freeman has gone on to serve on Allbirds’ board of directors since 2022. And Dick’s Sporting Goods appears confident in its choice — and its go-forward strategy. In a statement last month, Stack said, “At Foot Locker, we’ve assembled a world-class management team and are taking decisive actions to ‘clean out the garage’”‘ by clearing unproductive inventory, closing underperforming stores and laying the foundation for a fresh start in 2026.”
REI CO-OP
REI Co-op president and CEO Mary Beth Laughton.
Courtesy of REI Co-op
The outdoor specialty retail giant announced in January that Mary Beth Laughton would be its next leader. A former REI board director, Laughton officially joined the company as president on Feb. 3 before assuming full CEO responsibilities on March 31. She succeeded Eric Artz, who retired in March after six years in the top spot. Laughton’s extensive resume included stops at some of the biggest names in sports, fashion and beauty, including Nike, Athleta and Sephora. Laughton has also served on the boards of Instacart and Impossible Foods.
In a statement announcing the change, current board director Chris Carr described Laughton as “a highly accomplished and innovative retail and digital leader, known for her collaborative approach and steadfast dedication to aligning business success with purpose and values.” He also noted she is an avid hiker who “believes strongly in the role that nature has in grounding us mentally and physically. ”
OOFOS
Angel Martinez
Courtesy of Oofos
A familiar face is back in the shoe business. In October, recovery footwear brand Oofos tapped industry veteran Angel Martinez to serve as co-chief executive officer, serving alongside brand cofounder Lou Panaccione. Martinez, who joined the Oofos board of directors in early 2025, brings decades of leadership experience across some of the footwear industry’s most influential brands. Martinez served as CEO and president of Deckers Brands from April 2005 until he retired in June 2016. Prior to joining Deckers, Martinez was cofounder of Keen LLC, and served as its president, CEO and vice chairman from April 2003 to March 2005.
TOMS
Jessica Alsing
Courtesy of Toms
In October, Toms tapped footwear veteran Jessica Alsing as its new chief executive officer, the first woman to lead the shoe brand. Prior to joining Toms, Alsing spent nearly a decade at Crocs, where she served as vice president of international digital commerce, leading the brand’s digital expansion and global growth strategy. Most recently, she was chief digital officer at Grendene Global Brands — the parent company of brands like Melissa Shoes, Ipanema and Rider. Alsing, who has been consulting with the company, replaced former CEO Jared Fix, who left the company in April after less than a year at the helm.
BOOT BARN
John Hazen is now the permanent CEO of Boot Barn.
Courtesy of Boot Barn / Getty Images
After serving as interim chief executive officer since November 2024, John Hazen was named permanent CEO of Boot Barn Holdings in May. Hazen, who stepped in after Jim Conroy announced plans to resign from the CEO role on Nov. 22, 2024, joined Boot Barn in 2018 as chief digital officer. Prior to that, Hazen served as senior vice president of commerce and subscriptions of Ring from 2017 to 2018, and as SVP of direct-to-consumer of True Religion from 2014 to 2017. His extensive career also includes leadership positions at Kellwood, Nike and Fox Racing.
Under Hazen’s leadership this year, Boot Barn has gone from strength to strength. In its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 27, net sales increased 18.7 percent year over year to $505.4 million. The company also has upped its store opening goals. With roughly 500 doors in its roster, it’s now aiming for a total of 1,200 locations across the U.S.
THE ATHLETE’S FOOT
Matt Lafone is now the global CEO of The Athlete’s Foot.
Courtesy of The Athlete’s Foot
In April, The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) promoted Matt Lafone to the role of global chief executive officer, effective immediately. Lafone, who previously served as president and general manager of the Americas, joined TAF in 2021 and has driven positive results during his tenure, including a 45 percent increase in regional revenue — contributing $272.1 million to the 2024 overall performance. Prior to joining TAF, Lafone was chief operating officer for Payless ShoeSource, where he oversaw design, development, supply chain, marketing and franchising for its 750 international stores. Lafone also held the role of vice president of sportstyle at Puma.
REEBOK
Marc Le Roux.
Courtesy of Reebok
At the same time it opened a new Reebok European headquarters in London, Authentic Brands Group announced in October that Marc Le Roux would be the new chief executive officer of Reebok Europe. He joined the brand from French footwear manufacturer Groupe Royer, where he served as CEO since September 2024. The executive also spent over 15 years at Adidas, with his most recent role as senior vice president and general manager in the Asia Pacific region. Other positions he held while at the German athletic company included vice president of Greater China, brand director, and head of sport marketing.
ECCO
In March, the Danish footwear and leather company named Neal Taylor as its new chief executive officer of the Americas. Taylor joins the company from Hanesbrands, where he most recently served as senior vice president of global commercial. Prior to that, he spent 16 years at Reebok when it was owned by Adidas. In his last role at Reebok, he helped lead the divestiture of the brand to its current owner, Authentic Brands Group.
KIZIK
Kizik tapped former Nike executive Gareth Hosford as its new chief executive officer in April. Hosford joins Kizik from performance apparel startup Omorpho, where he’d served as chief operating officer, chief financial officer and head of partnerships since 2021. Prior to this role, he was chief commercial officer at Converse for nearly three years. But the bulk of Hosford’s footwear career was spent at Nike, where he worked for 12 years in a variety of roles, including vice president and general manager of the U.K. and Ireland, GM of football in the U.K. and Ireland, and director of clubs and federations for the global football division.
GOLDEN GOOSE
Mauro Maggioni
Courtesy of Golden Goose
In October, Golden Goose confirmed exclusively to FN that it had appointed Mauro Maggioni as its new chief executive officer of the Americas. The news came as outgoing CEO of the Americas Silvia Merati announced she would be leaving the Italian footwear company to helm the denim brand Frame in Los Angeles. As for Maggioni, he has been with Golden Goose since 2019, most recently serving as the CEO of the Asia-Pacific region.
GIANVITO ROSSI
Gianvito Rossi SRL promoted Costanzo Ruocco to the role of chief executive officer in April. Ruocco was previously chief operating officer at the Italian footwear firm, where he worked for the past five years, playing “a pivotal role in its operations and strategic development,” according to a statement shared first with WWD and FN. Ruocco takes over the CEO role from designer Gianvito Rossi, who founded his brand in 2006 after spending years studying shoemaking under his footwear-guru father Sergio Rossi.
TECNICA GROUP
Andrea Dorigo.
PAUL SCHNECK
Tecnica Group — the parent company of Moon Boot and Nordica — named former Adidas executive Andrea Dorigo as its new chief executive officer in April. Dorigo succeeded Giovanni Zoppas, who had served as CEO since May 2021. Zoppas will continue to support the Zanatta family as a strategic advisor, the company said. Dorigo joins Tecnica Group from Adidas, where he served as senior vice president of global retail since 2023. Prior to joining Adidas, he was head of global retail for the Estēe Lauder Companies in New York.
