Hiking and outdoor footwear brand Merrell has named Richard McLeod chief marketing officer.
McLeod was previously the vice president, chief marketing officer at Champion, where he led strategy development and enhanced the brand’s market presence, according to a news release. Before that, he was senior vice president of brand at Canada Goose.
“I am thrilled to join Merrell, a brand with a rich heritage and global impact,” McLeod said in a statement. “I look forward to developing world class marketing strategies that inspire more people to embrace the outdoors, connect with the brand, and drive the brand’s future growth.”
McLeod succeeds Pallav Tamaskar, who joined Merrell as CMO in November 2023.
Merrell returned to growth in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 28, as parent company Wolverine Worldwide continued its turnaround efforts. Merrell revenue rose 1.4% year-over-year to $159.2 million.
Merrell named Noreen Naroo-Pucci chief product officer in December. She will expand the hiking and footwear brand’s lifestyle offerings.
McLeod will report to Janice Tennant, Merrell’s global brand president.
“Rich is widely recognized as a consumer-obsessed leader and builder of talent with a track record of growing brands through strong consumer demand creation and retail execution,” Tennant said in a statement. “Rich’s depth of experience will help position Merrell for long-term growth.”
Wolverine Worldwide will report its fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2024 results on Feb. 19.
