Amer Sports Announces Senior Management Changes
Amer Sports Corporation (“Amer Sports”) has announced a number of executive leadership changes. Mr. Heikki Takala has decided to resign from his role as President and CEO and will move into a role as a special advisor to the Board of Directors for Amer Sports. Mr. Jie Zheng (James), as the Board Executive Director, has assumed Mr. Takala’s responsibilities, supported by the appointment of Mr. Michael Hauge Sorensen as Chief Operating Officer, a newly created role at Amer Sports. The appointments come as Amer Sports enters its next phase of growth.
James has long-standing expertise in the sporting goods industry and brings more than twenty-five years of experience to lead the future development of Amer Sports. He joined Amer’s controlling shareholder, ANTA Sports Products Limited (“ANTA Sports”), in 2008 where he currently serves as Executive Director and Group President, a role he will continue to perform. He has been a board member of Amer Sports’ holding company since early 2019.
Mr. Michael Hauge Sorensen, with twenty-five years of experience in the global apparel and footwear industry, has served as an advisor to the board since early 2019. He has extensive experience in brand management, business development, omni-channel, and value chain management.
James, Michael and CFO Mr. Jussi Siitonen will form the Executive Committee of the Company, and will be working closely with the executive team to develop the business, empowering the brands to accelerate growth and adapt to the changing demands of the global market. Key growth initiatives will focus on product development, direct to consumer (DTC) oriented channel operation and digitalization to fully unleash Amer Sports’ potential and bring the company to the next level as a leading global premium sporting goods company.
Amer Sports’ current CEO, Mr. Heikki Takala, has resigned but will continue to support Amer Sports as a special advisor to the board. During the past ten years, Heikki oversaw a period of steady growth across the group and developed the business and brands into recognized players on the global stage, which allows Amer Sports to be ready to accelerate into its next phase of growth.
James said, “The changes we have announced today are focused on accelerating the growth of Amer Sports’ business and brands. The company has come out of the period of COVID-19 uncertainty and is today in a solid position from which to embark on the exciting next phase of growth.” He continued, “Heikki leaves his role as CEO with our great thanks for his leadership over the past ten years and we are delighted that he will be continuing his involvement with the group as a special advisor.”
Heikki said,” My ten years at Amer Sports have been great. I have worked with brilliant people across the group and we can be extremely proud that we have built a significant global sporting brands group. Though I have decided to resign from my role as the CEO, I continue giving the group my full support as a special advisor and look forward to playing my part in helping contribute to the company’s next phase of growth under James’ stewardship.”
Amer Sports is owned by an investor consortium including ANTA Sports, FountainVest Partners, Anamered Investments Inc. and Tencent Holdings Limited. A spokesperson for the consortium said, “The appointments announced today represent an important next step in the acceleration of our existing growth strategy for Amer Sports and underscore the commitment of the shareholder consortium to helping unlock Amer’s tremendous value and growth potential.”
