Exclusive: Under Armour Taps New Balance, Nike Vet Yuron White as Head of Footwear
Under Armour is beefing up its footwear leadership team as it looks to make shoes a more significant part of its business.
The Baltimore, Md.-based company on Tuesday said it has tapped Yuron White as its head of footwear in the newly created role of senior vice president, sportswear, run, basketball, Curry and collaborations. He started his new role on Monday reporting to Yassine Saidi, Under Armour’s chief product officer who joined the company in January.
White’s appointment represents the first major hire for Under Armour founder Kevin Plank during his new reign as chief executive officer, which he began after Stephanie Linnartz exited the CEO role in March following a year-long tenure. In addition to footwear, White will also oversee apparel creation and will spearhead product strategy across the sportswear, run, basketball, Curry brand, and collaboration categories. He will be based in Under Armour’s office in Portland, Ore.
“We are so excited to welcome Yuron to Under Armour,” Saidi said in a statement. “His experience in sportswear and footwear will be instrumental in our next chapter of growth and delivering elevated design and product. I know that he will help us extend the reach of our offerings and partnerships to drive consumer demand.”
Before joining Under Armour, White served as vice president of global lifestyle, basketball and innovation at New Balance. Prior to that, he held several roles during a storied career at Nike, culminating in his position as VP of performance sports and cross category concepts. He previously served as VP of footwear at Jordan Brand and VP/general manager of Nike basketball in Shanghai.
“I am eager to lead the charge in creating cutting-edge footwear solutions that empower athletes to reach new heights of performance,” White said in a statement. “Together, we will build on Under Armour’s legacy of pushing boundaries and setting new standards, driving growth and success both on and off the field. I look forward to contributing to the next chapter of Under Armour’s journey to inspire athletes worldwide.”
White joins Under Armour amid a series of high-profile hires and departures at the brand. Earlier this month, Under Armour said its chief people and administrative officer Tchernavia Rocker would leave the company in June, becoming the next high ranking female at the company to exit after Linnartz. Before her departure, Linnartz oversaw the hiring of rock ’n’ roll-inspired menswear designer John Varvatos as chief design officer in September and Saidi’s appointment as chief product officer in January.
When it comes to footwear, Under Armour’s new product strategy centers on creating more casual, street-focused looks as opposed to narrowly focusing on performance. Under Armour’s $1.5 billion shoe business represented about 25 percent of its total revenues in 2023, compared with the much larger Nike, whose shoe revenues make up more than half its business. Under Armour’s goal is to continue to grow footwear’s share of the total business.
Under Armour in February reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, including a net income of $114.1 million, or 26 cents a share. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 19 cents — much better than the 11 cents analysts projected. Revenues fell 6 percent to $1.5 billion from $1.6 billion a year earlier.