Under Armour, Inc. has announced that Eric Liedtke will join the company as Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy following the completion of its acquisition of Unless Collective, Inc (Unless), a zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand. The transaction is expected to be completed later this week.
After a 26-year career at adidas Group, culminating in his roles as Brand President and Executive Board Member from 2014 to 2019, Liedtke and industry executives from adidas, Quicksilver and R/GA set out in 2020 to found Unless and pioneer a better way for the industry to prove that plants could replace plastics in the creation of apparel and footwear.
Eric will serve as Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and be globally accountable for amplifying Under Armour’s brand identity and storytelling, its comprehensive strategic planning process and executing transformational initiatives that accelerate growth for Under Armour while continuing to lead and curate, Unless.
“We are thrilled to welcome Eric and the Unless team to Under Armour,”said Under Armour President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Plank. “With Eric’s best-in-class history of driving exceptional growth in the branded sports industry and an established reputation as an exceptional leader, his experience will be a tremendous asset in galvanizing Under Armour’s brand strategy, refining our operating model and ensuring that every facet of consumer engagement is moving our brand forward. Complementing our strengthened leadership team – Eric is a rare multi-disciplinary professional whose track record of consumer-centric growth will help drive our company’s evolution during this unique time. I look forward to working with Eric in this important new role.”
“Sports, inspiration and culture bring people together, and I am honored by the opportunity to contribute to Under Armour’s long legacy as an iconic brand that connects across these dimensions,” said Under Armour Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy Eric Liedtke. “I see tremendous opportunity to elevate the brand, enable deeper loyalty and drive growth among new and existing consumers. I am excited to work with a visionary founder in Kevin and the executive leadership team to redefine and amplify the Under Armour story and deliver an improved trajectory of growth over the long term.”
