Hoka Hires 17-Year Nike Veteran Robin Green as New President
As competition in the running market continues to heat up, Hoka is looking to a veteran Nike executive to take the brand to the next level.
Deckers Brands, the parent company of Hoka, announced on Monday that it has hired Robin Green as president, effective immediately. Green will serve on the company’s executive leadership team and report to Deckers Brands chief executive officer and president Dave Powers.
In her role, Green will focus on delivering continued growth at Hoka, expanding on consumer and athlete connection and and accelerating the product innovation pipeline. The announcement comes one week after Deckers reported its biggest quarter in history, driven by Hoka’s 21.9 percent sales increase in the third quarter.
“Robin is a strong leader with a demonstrated ability to develop and execute on multi-year strategic, growth-driving initiatives for global performance businesses, and I am eager for her to leverage that expertise as part of Deckers,” Powers said in a statement. “Hoka is in its strongest position to date and I am confident in our ability to continue its positive momentum with Robin at the helm. Together, we will focus on continuing to expand consumer awareness of Hoka, maximizing and scaling our product offerings and accessibility, and eclipsing the exceptional revenue milestones hit over the last year.”
Green is an athletic industry veteran. Prior to joining Hoka, she held several leadership roles at Nike during her 17 years with the company, most recently serving as its global VP and GM of men’s running and fitness. Before Nike, Green was a manager and buyer at Fleet Feet for four years.
“I am thrilled to join Deckers and lead the dedicated Hoka team to further unlock the potential of this outstanding brand. Hoka is delivering market share gains and record results at unparalleled levels for our industry, and we will continue to execute on the incredible growth opportunities ahead,” Green said in a statement. “I am confident in our ability to build on the Hoka brand’s commitment to product innovation excellence, capitalize on our growing global consumer demand and brand loyalty, and optimize for marketplace management and growth.”
Green’s hiring comes less than two weeks after Powers announced he will retire on Aug. 1. Deckers confirmed Stefano Caroti, the company’s chief commercial officer, is slated to take over for Powers upon his retirement. Caroti, who began his career at Deckers as its president of omnihannel, most recently served as its chief commercial officer and interim president of its Performance Lifestyle division, which includes Hoka.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.