Michael Rupp to become Jack Wolfskin CEO

Michael Rupp to become Jack Wolfskin CEO
� Adidas executive to join Jack Wolfskin
� Focus on the company’s agenda for innovation and product development
� Jack Wolfskin turnover up 22.5% in 2011
Idstein, 14.03.2012 – The Company today announces that Michael Rupp
(51) will become the new CEO of Jack Wolfskin GmbH & Co. KGaA (“Jack
Wolfskin”). The German-born executive will take on his new position in
July 2012. Michael Rupp has more than 20 years of industry experience
and has for the last 4 years been President and CEO of the Adidas
subsidiary The Rockport Company, LLC (“Rockport”) in Boston, USA. Mr.
Rupp will return to his homeland of Germany, based at Jack Wolfskin’s
headquarters in Idstein.
Mr. Rupp said: “Jack Wolfskin is a unique brand with a great product range, widely seen
in Europe as the number one outdoor company and becoming a globally recognised
brand. I am confident of Jack Wolfskin's continued success and I really look forward to
working with the existing management team to drive continual development of the
brand in a manner true to the authentic heritage that the team has built over the last
25 years.”
Mr. Rupp held various roles at Adidas for more than 10 years, including as Managing
Director in Central Europe (which includes Germany, Austria and Switzerland) before
joining Reebok as Chief Operating Officer in 2005. He then became CEO of Rockport, a
US shoe brand. With Rockport, he developed a strategic and operational roadmap
which led to a successful turnaround of the brand.
Dr. Axel Herberg, Chairman of Jack Wolfskin, said: “We had a clear target profile for
the CEO position and Michael Rupp is the ideal person to fit the culture and business
goals of Jack Wolfskin. His deep knowledge of the sporting goods industry and of the
German market, combined with his vast international experience with leading global
brands will be a huge benefit to the company”.
In the 2011 financial year, Jack Wolfskin was, once again, able to increase its sales
significantly by 22.5% to €355 million, thus reinforcing its strong market position. Year
to date, the company has continued to deliver double digit top line growth, with
particularly high growth rates in international markets.”
Mr Rupp joins the existing Jack Wolfskin Management Board, comprising Andreas Klotz
as Chief Financial Officer, Christian Brand as Chief Operating Officer and Markus Bötsch
as Chief Sales Officer.
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Functionality, quality and innovation for people who are at home outdoors
Jack Wolfskin is one of the leading providers of functional outdoor clothing, footwear and
equipment in Europe and the largest franchisor in the German specialist sports retail market. Jack
Wolfskin products are currently available in more than 600 franchise stores and at 4,000 points of
sale across Europe and Asia. Jack Wolfskin products feature a high degree of functionality, userfriendliness
and innovation. In recent years, Jack Wolfskin has successfully introduced numerous
material and product innovations and holds several patents for technologies in the areas of
clothing, rucksacks and tents. In the 2011 calendar year, the Company recorded sales revenues of
€355 million in Europe, up 22.5 per cent on the previous year. Jack Wolfskin GmbH & Co. KGaA is
headquartered in Idstein in Taunus and employs more than 630 people.
Press contact:
JACK WOLFSKIN
Ausrüstung für Draussen GmbH & Co. KGaA
Jack Wolfskin Kreisel 1
65510 Idstein
Germany
Thomas Zimmerling
Phone: +49 (0)612695 4301
Fax: +49 (0)6126954 444301
Email: thomas_zimmerling@jack-wolfskin.com
For Blackstone
CNC - Communications & Network Consulting AG
WestendDuo
Bockenheimer Landstraße 24
60323 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
Alexander Styles
Phone: +49 (0) 69 506 037 579
Fax: +49 (0) 506 037 566
Email: Alexander.Styles@cnc-communications.com
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