Tara McRae Returns to Puma

Welcome back to FN Daily, where we break down the biggest stories happening in footwear and retail.

Today we are diving into executive moves at Puma and Burberry. Plus, Academy Sports says it will open nine new stores this fall.

Here's what you need to know.

EXCLUSIVE: Tara McRae Is Returning to Puma as SVP of Marketing and Brand Strategy for North America

An industry veteran who spent 10 years at Puma has returned to the brand.

Tara McRae — who held several marketing roles with the athletic powerhouse from 2006 to 2016 — has assumed the role of senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Puma North America, effective Aug. 30. She is also a member of the Puma North America senior leadership team.

“Puma is a deep love of mine. It was well before I worked for the brand when I was a kid, it was while I worked at the brand, and it has never left me — even being away for eight years,” McRae told FN.

McRae spent the last four years at Clarks Originals, most recently serving as its global chief marketing officer and digital officer. Also in her career, she was the first chief marketing officer at NFL icon Tom Brady’s health and wellness brand TB12.

Burberry Names Jonathan Kiman Chief Marketing?Officer, Laura Dubin-Wander President of Americas

Burberry is making swift changes under the direction of new chief executive officer Joshua Schulman as on Tuesday it appointed Jonathan Kiman chief marketing officer, succeeding Rod Manley, whose planned departure was announced earlier this year.

Joining the brand in London on Sept. 9, Kiman previously was at Gucci in Milan, where he held various senior roles for 12 years, including most recently chief marketing officer. He previously served as chief brand officer of Versace.

At the same time, Burberry appointed Laura Dubin-Wander as president of the Americas. She will be based in New York City and lead the brand’s operations in the region beginning Wednesday. Most recently she was CEO of OTB North America and has worked in several senior roles at brands including Christian Dior Couture, Givenchy and Coach, where she was the president of North America.

Zoom out: The fresh round of senior management reshuffle came at a time when Burberry is on the brink of falling out of the FTSE 100 index of blue-chip stocks on the London Stock Exchange. Over the past 12 months Burberry’s share price has declined nearly 70 percent, and its market capitalization has shrunk to around 2.37 billion pounds on the back of falling sales in one of the most brutal macroeconomic periods that luxury operators have witnessed in more than a decade.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Will Open Nine New Stores This Fall

Academy Sports + Outdoors will continue its robust retail expansion plan with the opening of nine new store locations across eight states this fall.

The store openings are in line with Academy’s goal to open between 15 and 17 new stores by the end of fiscal 2024. Thus far this year, Academy has opened three new stores.

Click here to see where the new stores will be located

Big picture: In March, the sporting goods retailer announced that it plans to open between?160 and 180 stores?over the next five years, up from a?plan issued last April?that outlined a strategy for 120 to 140 stores in that time frame. These new openings — as well as other new stores that have launched since 2022 — feature a new design layout that emphasizes the chain’s broad footwear assortment.

Academy reports earnings for the second quarter on Sep. 10.

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