# Richard McLeod

> Richard McLeod is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Merrell, the hiking and outdoor footwear brand owned by Wolverine Worldwide. A former college basketball player and Brunel University London graduate, he has spent more than two decades building globally recognized brands, with senior marketing roles at Champion, Canada Goose, Foot Locker, Hennessy and Bacardi. Since joining Merrell in February 2025, he has led the brand's push beyond the trail into the outdoor lifestyle market, spearheading its first global brand platform, 'It Starts Outside.'

- **Role:** Global Chief Marketing Officer at Merrell (Wolverine Worldwide)
- **Organizations:** Merrell, Wolverine Worldwide
- **Education:** Brunel University London
- **Known for:** Built and marketed brands across spirits, sportswear and footwear over two decades, Led global brand strategy for Champion and launched its 'Eco Future' sustainable product pipeline featuring CiCLO technology, Drove brand evolution and growth as SVP of Brand at Canada Goose

## Career timeline

- **2000s** — Held senior marketing and brand roles at spirits companies Hennessy and Bacardi USA, working on Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire and D'usse Cognac
- **2010s** — VP of U.S. marketing for Footaction, then VP of North America marketing for Foot Locker Inc.
- **2010s** — Promoted to Vice President and General Manager of Foot Locker Canada
- **2020s** — Senior Vice President of Brand at Canada Goose, leading brand evolution, growth and performance
- **2023** — Named Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Champion (HanesBrands); launched the 'Eco Future' product pipeline
- **2025** — Appointed Global Chief Marketing Officer of Merrell, reporting to Global Brand President Janice Tennant
- **2026** — Led launch of Merrell's first global brand platform, 'It Starts Outside,' marking the brand's 45th anniversary

## Achievements

- Built and marketed brands across spirits, sportswear and footwear over two decades
- Led global brand strategy for Champion and launched its 'Eco Future' sustainable product pipeline featuring CiCLO technology
- Drove brand evolution and growth as SVP of Brand at Canada Goose
- Spearheaded 'It Starts Outside,' Merrell's first-ever global brand platform, in 2026
- Positioned Merrell to expand from hiking-focused footwear into the broader outdoor lifestyle market

## Latest updates

- **2025-02** — Announced as Merrell's Global Chief Marketing Officer, reporting to Global Brand President Janice Tennant.
- **2026-03** — Led the launch of 'It Starts Outside,' Merrell's first global brand platform, timed to the brand's 45th anniversary.

## Links

- Website: https://www.merrell.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-mcleod-835aab

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/richard-mcleod
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-25