01/04/2024

Fifteen Questions with Under Armour’s New CEO

And, yes, she knows the brand is too "bro-tastic"

$7.58. That was Under Armour's closing stock price the day I met with Stephanie Linnartz, the company's new CEO.

A 25-year veteran of Marriott, Linnartz stepped into the role at the end of February of this year. She became the company's third CEO appointed in four years. It is perhaps a surprisingly unenviable role, as she's tasked with turning around a company that missed the rise of ath-leisure, bricked the endorsement deal of a generation with Stephen Curry by creating a decade of lackluster shoes, still contends with founder Kevin Plank as a primary shareholder who has caused waves of scandals while supporting Trump, and boasts a share price down 85 percent since its high in 2015.

Linnartz and I met up for a rapid-fire interview inside the company’s 29,000-square-foot flagship store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue—one that, during my time of visit, welcomed customers to its first floor women's department with a kiosk dedicated to The Rock. Afterward, I'd visit a 300-square-foot Hoka store a few blocks away that seemed to squeeze as many people inside.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.