Wolverine President Tom Kennedy on Rethinking E-Comm and Finding Opportunities in Work Boots and Outdoor

Industry veteran Tom Kennedy assumed the Wolverine global brand president role as COVID-19 was starting to take over stateside, but the disruption did not impact his ability to lead effectively. Kennedy, who joined Wolverine World Wide in 2015 as president of apparel and accessories, last oversaw the company’s Sperry brand. Now, he’s at the helm of Wolverine, taking charge in February 2020 at a time when the demand ramped up in the work and outdoor categories. For spring ’22, there’s plenty of newness coming from the Wolverine brand, led by the Raider DuraShock and updates to the Hellcat franchise in the work category, as well as the new Torrent and Frost silhouettes for women in outdoor lifestyle. But the company is delivering in a time of uncertainty, which is mostly created by ongoing supply chain challenges and severe port congestion. Below, Kennedy shares with FN how he’s continuing to adapt to leading digitally versus in person and how Wolverine is tackling industry-wide issues. What have you learned during your first year-plus with the Wolverine brand? Tom Kennedy: “You always superficially understand something like COVID or a financial issue will impact a brand in its own way. What we’re learning about Wolverine as a boot brand is

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