Saucony President Anne Cavassa Steps Down
Saucony president Anne Cavassa has left the company.
Wolverine World Wide Inc. president, CEO and director Brendan Hoffman revealed the executive’s departure during the company’s first-quarter 2023 earnings call.
“We thank her for her contributions and wish her well. The process of naming a successor is well underway,” Hoffman said during the earnings call.
Hoffman confirmed Active Group president Chris Hufnagel will work with the Saucony team in the interim. (The Active Group consists of Merrell, Saucony, Sweaty Betty and Chaco. Hufnagel assumed the president role in November 2022.)
Hoffman said, “We believe having Chris more involved in the day-to-day operations of Saucony will allow for greater collaboration and synergies with Merrell, as we look to solidify Saucony as a preeminent leader in core running and leverage the brand’s strength in technology and innovation to build out a lifestyle offering to broaden its wear occasions and consumer reach.”
Cavassa was named president of Saucony in May 2018, replacing Pat O’Malley, who was in the role since January 2016. She was also appointed to the Wolverine World Wide senior leadership team.
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Prior to Saucony, Cavassa held leadership positions at several running, athletic and outdoor industry heavyweights. The most recent role prior to joining Saucony was chief customer experience officer and SVP of marketing and apparel for Brooks. Her experience also includes stints at Timberland, Nike, Ibex, Eastern Mountain Sports and Reebok.
In Wolverine World Wide’s last reported quarter, the Active Group reported revenue of $385.9 million, a 15 percent year-over-year increase in constant currency for Q1 2023. Specifically for Saucony, the running brand had revenue of $132.6 million, a 24.5 percent increase.
