• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish

3

Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish

3

Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
Under Armour

Here’s Why Under Armour Shares Are Sliding

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 4, 2016, 11:40 AM ET

Shares of Under Armour are dipping on Wednesday a day after the athletic gear purveyor reported two key executives would leave the brand, including the crucial chief merchant.

Chief Merchandising Officer Henry Stafford and Chief Digital Officer Robin Thurston are both leaving Baltimore-based Under Armour (UA), which has been a star performer in the broader athletic gear space that is dominated by Nike (NKE). Both are being succeeded by internal candidates.

Under Armour, which generated nearly $4 billion in sales last year, has reported consistent double-digit sales growth as it expands into new product categories, places a bigger bet on the women’s market, and sees stronger brand interest with key athlete endorsement deals including NBA star Stephen Curry and golfer Jordan Spieth.

But the executive losses are clearly concerning to Wall Street, with investors sending shares down nearly 6% on Wednesday.

Why? The chief merchandising officer is an important position for any apparel and footwear designer – they are the executive that sets the overall aesthetic for the brand. Stafford first joined Under Armour in 2010 and led the company’s apparel line, which is by far Under Armour’s largest product category. He later earned a few key promotions before becoming the merchandising chief in late 2014. Stafford will leave the company in July.

He is being succeeded on an interim basis by Kip Fulks, who most recently served as chief marketing officer.

“Henry Stafford is a great talent,” said Matt Powell, sports industry analyst at research firm The NPD Group. “He built a very good team at UA that should be able to carry on with his direction and vision.”

Meanwhile, Sterne Agee CRT analyst Sam Poser issued a note to clients advising the long-term outlook for Under Armour remained “intact” despite the departures.

“It is a coincidence the two are departing at the same time. Both employees have a non-compete in place. UA has a qualified bench under both positions,” Poser said. “Our long-term thesis that UA will continue to grow & investors should have 18-month-three-year time horizon remains intact despite the departures.”

The departure of Thurston is also notable as he first joined the company in 2013 after the $150 million acquisition of MapMyFitness, a fitness technology company that Thurston co-founded.

The digital business has become increasingly important to Under Armour, which touts “connected fitness” as the potential future of fitness. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank has been especially bullish about the opportunity, spending $710 million to scoop up a handful of apps in the space. Connected fitness revenue only totaled $53.4 million in 2015 but some analysts say the business can perhaps hit $200 million by 2018.

Michael Lee, co-founder of MyFitnessPal, will assume the responsibilities of chief digital officer. MyFitnessPal is another digital platform that Under Armour recently acquired. He previously served as senior vice president, North America Digital, overseeing digital product strategy for Under Armour Connected Fitness.

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

a woman looks at the produce she's buying
Economyaffordability
More Americans are going hungry now than during the pandemic, as people face a ‘remarkable’ rise in food insecurity, New York Fed says
By Jacqueline MunisMay 28, 2026
47 minutes ago
ron
Personal FinanceFlorida
UBS says Ron DeSantis has a problem with his plan to help 92% of homeowners save on property taxes: His own state’s data
By Nick LichtenbergMay 28, 2026
53 minutes ago
Marc Benioff, chief executive officer of Salesforce
SuccessJobs
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says there’s one department still hiring: sales
By Emma BurleighMay 28, 2026
2 hours ago
Jane Fraser defied the ‘glass cliff’ to engineer Citi’s long-awaited turnaround
NewslettersMPW Daily
Jane Fraser defied the ‘glass cliff’ to engineer Citi’s long-awaited turnaround
By Claire ZillmanMay 28, 2026
2 hours ago
Costco CEO says AI is not stealing workers’ jobs—it’s ‘elevating’ them
Successthe future of work
Costco CEO says AI is not stealing workers’ jobs—it’s ‘elevating’ them
By Preston ForeMay 28, 2026
2 hours ago
Boos, AI-washing, and ‘low-value human capital’: The psychological traps CEOs are falling into when they botch their AI messaging
C-Suitechief executive officer (CEO)
Boos, AI-washing, and ‘low-value human capital’: The psychological traps CEOs are falling into when they botch their AI messaging
By Claire ZillmanMay 28, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
7 days ago
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
Environment
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
By Dorany Pineda, Brittany Peterson and The Associated PressMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
Banking
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of May 27, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 27, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Even if every California billionaire left tomorrow, it would take 25 years for the state to lose as much as it stands to gain from proposed wealth tax
Economy
Even if every California billionaire left tomorrow, it would take 25 years for the state to lose as much as it stands to gain from proposed wealth tax
By Tristan BoveMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Techlash grows in education: 'My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack'
North America
Techlash grows in education: 'My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack'
By Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressMay 26, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.