Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE:WWW) announced today the appointment of James T. (Tom) Parker to the position of President for the U.S. Women's division of the Hush Puppies Company. Parker will report to Spencer E. (Skip) Zimmerman, President of the Hush Puppies Company.
Commenting on the appointment, Zimmerman stated, ''This is a newly created position evolving from the realignment of the U.S. business around genders a Men's and Children's Division and a Women's Division. This structure will allow each team to focus on the product development, sales and marketing efforts needed to fuel growth in the U.S. market.
''Tom Parker, a footwear industry veteran, will strengthen the Hush Puppies team with his strong brand-building experience, exceptional leadership skills and a specialization in the women's footwear business. With Tom's extensive background in women's footwear and his proven track record of success, we expect that he will make an immediate impact and help accelerate the current momentum of the Hush Puppies brand.''
''Working with Skip Zimmerman and the rest of the Hush Puppies team is a tremendous opportunity to take one of the world's foremost footwear brands to even greater levels of success,'' stated Tom Parker. “Helping the Hush Puppies brand realize its full potential in the U.S., especially in the women's segment of the market, is a challenge I look forward to. With contemporary styling right for today's lifestyle and the brand's incredible consumer recognition, Hush Puppies has a unique opportunity to become the premier, must-have brand for casual footwear.''
Parker joins Hush Puppies from Brown Shoe Company where he was most recently Senior Vice-President, Wholesale for the Naturalizer division, where he led the team responsible for that brand's threefold growth in the department store segment of the U.S. footwear market. He is a footwear industry veteran with over 27 years experience in footwear, primarily women's. He is also a lifetime member of Two/Ten Footwear Foundation.
With a commitment to service and product excellence, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. is one of the world's leading marketers of branded casual, active lifestyle, work, outdoor sport and uniform footwear and slippers. The Company's portfolio of highly recognized brands includes: Bates(R), Hush Puppies(R), HYTEST(R), Merrell(R) and Wolverine(R). The Company also markets footwear under popular licensed brands including CAT(R), Harley-Davidson(R) and Stanley(R). The Company's products are carried by leading retailers in the U.S. and are distributed internationally in over 140 countries. For additional information, please visit our website, www.wolverineworldwide.com.
