Saucony, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW) and a leading global performance running lifestyle brand, announced the appointment of Chris Deschenes as Vice President of U.S. Sales. Deschenes, who most recently served as Vice President of Sales for The Wolverine Kids Group, will set the strategic direction for all facets of Saucony’s U.S. footwear and apparel sales while providing leadership and general management for the brand’s sales organization. Effective immediately, Deschenes will join the brand’s senior leadership team and report to Saucony Global Brand President Rob Griffiths.
“This is a milestone year for us as we celebrate the brand’s 125th anniversary, and Chris is the perfect leader to help shape the future of our iconic brand,” said Griffiths. “I have deep respect for the importance of the US market; it’s where the brand began and it’s critical that we continue to win at home first and foremost. Chris’ exceptional track record managing The Wolverine Kids Group, a complex and diverse business, will prove invaluable as we continue to achieve our growth aspirations with product leadership, game-changing innovation and unparalleled consumer insight. In addition, Chris has a proven record of leading highly collaborative teams and building long-term business relationships across the industry.”
Deschenes comes to Saucony as an accomplished and results-oriented professional with 20+ years of experience and success working in various sales and product merchandising roles for best-in-class brands, including Life is Good, Sperry, Converse and Puma North America. As Vice President of Sales for The Wolverine Kids Group, Deschenes managed a portfolio of kids’ brands, including Sperry, Saucony, Merrell, Keds, Pro Keds and Hush Puppies. Deschenes earned a B.S. in marketing at Bentley University in Waltham, MA.
About Saucony:
Saucony, the ‘Original Running Brand’ and a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW), is a leading global performance running brand that fuses innovation, style and culture. Widely recognized for award-winning technologies including PWRRUN™ PB, PWRRUN+™, and SPEEDROLL™, Saucony creates innovative technical and lifestyle footwear and apparel across Road, Trail and Originals. Founded in 1898, Saucony exists to inspire and enable people to live a better life through running culture, self-expression and their impact on the world. For more information, visit www.saucony.com.