Kate Pinkham has been named Global General Manager and Vice President of Hush Puppies, a division of Wolverine Worldwide. Pinkham replaces Greg Tunney, who will be departing the company. She will report to Chris Hufnagel, president of Merrell and a member of Wolverine Worldwide’s Executive Leadership Team.
Pinkham has been leading Global Marketing for the brand for the past 18 months with a sharp focus on repositioning the 60-year-old brand around a new purpose that “inspires consumers to live life on the bright side.” Prior to joining Hush Puppies, she worked in consumer-packaged goods at Unilever and Mars Inc. She joined Wolverine Worldwide in 2014 to build the company’s Consumer Insights and Market Intelligence team.
“Kate is a consumer-centric, strategic leader with a proven track record of building and leading great teams,” states Hufnagel. “Hush Puppies is a special brand within the Wolverine Worldwide portfolio, and we believe Kate is the perfect leader to help write the next chapter in its long and successful history.”
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead Hush Puppies, it is an iconic brand with an optimistic and colorful history,” Pinkham says. “I also look forward to continuing to partner with our family of international licensees who have made the brand a household name globally—with over 800 Hush Puppies stores worldwide in over 160 countries and territories.”
Kate Pinkham
