Wolverine Worldwide has appointed Jim Zwiers as President, Global Operations Group, responsible for portfolio-wide sourcing, logistics, distribution, customer service and information technology. Zwiers will concurrently serve as President, International Group, a position he has held since 2014, and will remain Executive Vice President of the company and a member of its Executive Leadership Team. He succeeds Mike Jeppesen, who is retiring after more than 33 years in the footwear industry, the last nine of which have been with Wolverine Worldwide. Jeppesen will remain in an advisory role through mid-year to assist with the transition.
“Jim is uniquely and ideally suited to lead the Global Operations Group, and I could not be more pleased with this expansion of his role,” states Blake Krueger, Chairman and CEO. “His extensive experience with the company’s brands and international operations, coupled with his digital background and successful implementation of speed-to-market initiatives, will help accelerate the company’s digital-first transformation and global ecommerce growth.” Added Krueger, “We are grateful to Mike for his many years of dedicated service to both the company and our industry. He has been a key advisor to me and a trusted Executive Leadership Team member for many years, and we certainly wish him and his family well as he transitions into a well-deserved retirement.”
Zwiers, 52, has been with Wolverine Worldwide for almost 23 years, serving in many significant operational roles including President of the Performance Group and President of the Outdoor Group, along with leadership of the company’s global ecommerce and retail businesses. He has also held senior operational roles, including Senior Vice President with responsibility for strategy, business development and legal.
“I have been fortunate at Wolverine Worldwide to work with the best team in the industry, and I wish them continued success,” Jeppesen states. “Jim is a seasoned leader who knows our industry inside and out, and he is well-positioned to lead the Global Operations Group into the future as the company accelerates its ongoing digital transformation.”
Jim Zwiers
In other news, Wolverine Worldwide named Matt Blonder as its new President, Global ecommerce. Blonder will report to Brendan Hoffman, Wolverine Worldwide’s President.
Blonder brings more than 20 years of omni-channel, consumer direct, digital marketing and merchandising experience across a variety of well-known brands and retailers. Most recently, he was Global Head of Digital at Reebok, a division of Adidas, where he transformed the brand’s digital strategy, led a complete refresh of Reebok.com, revamped the digital consumer experience and introduced a new global loyalty program.
“Wolverine Worldwide witnessed a dramatic change in consumer behavior last year, highlighted by a significant shift to ecommerce and heightened digital engagement,” states Hoffman. “We capitalized on this by accelerating our pivot to a digital-first strategy and expanding our digital investments and capabilities, all aimed at engaging consumers online with pinnacle brand experiences, fresh and innovative product, and compelling storytelling. The company has set a bold goal to achieve $500 million in global ecommerce revenue for 2021. Matt’s proven track record makes him the ideal person to lead this ongoing digital transformation.”
“I’m excited to join Wolverine Worldwide during a period of unprecedented digital growth for the company and the industry overall,” Blonder says. “The company’s diverse and well-positioned brand portfolio provides many opportunities to accelerate growth in the current environment, as we embrace a consumer direct mindset and forge even stronger connections between global consumers and our brands.”
Matt Blonder
