Under Armour, founded by MoCo native Kevin Plank, announced that Marriott’s Stephanie Linnartz will join the company as President, Chief Executive Officer, and member of its Board of Directors, effective February 27, 2023. Her appointment follows a thorough and deliberate search led by a committee of independent members of Under Armour’s Board of Directors. Linnartz currently serves as the president of Bethesda-based Marriott International, Inc., the world’s largest hospitality company, with a portfolio of nearly 8,200 properties across 138 countries and territories and 30 brands, including The Ritz-Carlton®, St. Regis®, Marriott Hotels®, W® Hotels, and Westin® as well as the industry’s most extensive customer-loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy®, which has 173 million members.
Per the press release: “As a 25-year veteran of one of the world’s most respected global companies, we are thrilled to welcome Stephanie to the brand,” said Kevin Plank, Under Armour Executive Chair and Brand Chief. “She is a proven growth leader with a distinguished track record of brand strategy, omnichannel execution, talent acquisition and development, and passion for driving best-in-class consumer connectivity, experience, and brand loyalty.”
Plank continued, “Responsible for leading Marriott’s multi-billion dollar digital transformation, driving scale through continuous brand innovation across the portfolio, developing premier sports league and team partnerships, while architecting the extraordinary growth of its loyalty program – the board is confident that Stephanie – along with our leadership team and all of our key stakeholders – will accelerate our ability to realize the substantial opportunities for Under Armour as both an operating company and aspirational brand.” Upon Linnartz joining the company, Colin Browne, who has served as interim President and CEO since June 2022, will continue in a leadership role by resuming his position as Chief Operating Officer.
Plank commented, “Colin is a world-class industry professional and has done a terrific job leading throughout the transition. Highlights include refining our long-term strategy by tripling our total addressable market, validating the renewed growth fundamentals necessary to establish sector leadership, and championing our UA team culture. The board and the entire organization are grateful for his continued leadership and are fortunate to have such an important partner for Stephanie.” Linnartz said, “Under Armour is an iconic brand with a huge opportunity ahead. This company has immense energy and excitement, and I am committed to building growth while maintaining operational excellence. I look forward to joining the incredible UA team, partnering with Kevin and the board, and leading this amazing company into its next chapter, delivering for athletes, teammates, customers, and shareholders.”
Linnartz is a member of The Home Depot’s Board of Directors, the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer with approximately 2,300 stores and 500,000 associates. Linnartz has been recognized for her industry leadership, including being named to the Forbes CEO Next 2021 list. She is also a member of the Fortune CEO Initiative, a forum of global corporate leaders committed to addressing major social issues.
'
