Wolverine World Wide shifts leadership structure in bid to accelerate growth

Global footwear specialist Wolverine World Wide (WWW) has made a number of new leadership appointments as part of efforts to bolster product innovation and international growth.

Mike Maloney has been promoted to the newly created role of global general manager for the Wolverine brand, a position within the company’s Work Group, which also consists of 1000 Mile by Wolverine, Cat Footwear, and Merrell Work, among others.

In the role, Maloney is tasked with growing the work boot business while accelerating premium positioning and cultural relevance.

Maloney’s former position as chief product officer of the Work Group has been taken up by Ryan Drew, who brings over 25 years of experience in global footwear and apparel to the role. At WWW, he will oversee all product strategies and direction.

Ben Harrison, meanwhile, has been named general manager of Cat Footwear International, having most recently served as general manager of Merrell Canada. With Cat, he will lead the brand’s international business, with a specific focus on accelerating global growth and regional accountability.

In a statement, Justin Cupps, president of the Work Group, said the new leadership structure will allow the WWW arm to move faster and make more intentional decisions to accelerate growth.

Cupps added: “By strengthening how we connect product, insight, and storytelling, we’re positioning the Wolverine brand to build on the trust and credibility it has earned over generations and provide new innovations for how people will work and live tomorrow.”