Under Armour taps a fashion vet as CMO

Under Armour has hired Alessandro de Pestel, a fashion vet who most recently spent nearly a dozen years heading global marketing, communications and consumer insights at PVH-owned Tommy Hilfiger, as its chief marketing officer. De Pestel's appointment comes two months after the unexpected resignation of Adrienne Lofton, a senior VP of brand management who had been with the brand for three years. The brand's most recent CMO, Andrew Donkin, left last November after just 15 months. Also on Tuesday, the Baltimore-based brand announced the hire of Ann Funai, formerly of PeopleAdmin, a talent management company, as senior VP of engineering, working on the ways consumers interact with the brand on digital platforms. Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, said in a statement that the new hires should help to strengthen the brand's global marketing and digital prowess. The goal, he said, was a "more seamless experience to our consumers—whenever and wherever they engage the Under Armour brand." That's all the more crucial as Under Armour navigates the tricky minefield of contemporary consumer demand. Last week, it announced a new round of layoffs, part of a years-long restructuring. The company is cutting 3 percent of its workforce, or 400 jobs, as it struggles to maintain market share. Indeed, last week, Gap Inc. announced it was entering the men's sportswear category with its own brand, Hill City.

Under Armour taps a fashion vet as CMO

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