Jim Weber, Who Built Brooks Into a Billion-Dollar Brand, Is Stepping Down as CEO After 23 Years
Brooks president and chief operating officer Dan Sheridan will become the next CEO at Brooks.
It’s the end of an era at Brooks.
Jim Weber, the running brand’s longtime chief executive officer, is stepping down from the role after 23 years. Under his leadership, Brooks transformed from a company that was close to bankruptcy — which he addressed in his book, “Running With Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack” — into a billion-dollar brand.
“It has been a privilege and an honor to serve as Brooks CEO for the past 23 years. I am incredibly proud of all Brooks has accomplished in my time here, the foundations we’ve built, and the position Brooks is in to continue its growth in 2024 and beyond,” Weber, who joined the Brooks board of directors in 1999 and was named CEO in 2001, said in a statement.
With Weber at the helm, Brooks — which came close to going bankrupt in 2001 before he decided to narrow the brand’s focus to running — eclipsed the billion-dollar revenue milestone. In 2021, with competition heating up in the performance running category, Brooks reported global revenue in excess of $1.11 billion, a 31% percent increase from the year prior.
Brooks reported global revenues of $1.2 billion in 2023, up 5 percent from 2022. What’s more, the brand hit $1 billion in revenue in North America for the first time, a 7 percent increase year-over-year.
Replacing Weber is Brooks president and chief operating officer Dan Sheridan, who will assume the CEO role effective April 26.
“Dan’s 25-year journey at Brooks has prepared him well for the CEO role. In addition to his broad-ranging functional expertise, Dan consistently leads with a customer first mindset and people-centric operating mode, which have always been a success formula for Brooks,” Weber said in a statement.
Sheridan, who joined the company in 1998, climbed the corporate ladder at Brooks, and in 2019 he was named COO. Three years later, Sheridan was promoted to president and COO.
Brooks credited Sheridan with driving the evolution of its strategy in recent years, as well as scaling its business model, guiding its supply chain and operations, and accelerating the digital transformation to execute its multichannel strategy, among other things that have led to its success.
“I have had the greatest opportunity to work and learn alongside Jim for most of my career at Brooks,” Sheridan said in a statement. “Together with the rest of our global team, we’ve created a great business, a winning workplace culture, and a brand that matters to runners and partners all over the world. I’m humbled and excited to lead the Brooks team and look forward to building on our momentum.”
Brooks also confirmed Matt Dodge, vice president and managing director of Brooks International, will become the president and COO, effective Aug. 1. Dodge, who joined Brooks in 2013, was responsible for its business in the EMEA and APLA regions for the past five years. He will return to the brand’s Seattle headquarters.
The brand also stated a new Amsterdam-based leader for its EMEA business will be announced “in the coming months.”
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.