With finally some strong financial news under its belt in the past few weeks, Under Armour has made an interesting move with the recently announced acquisition of Unless Collective, a zero-plastic regenerative fashion brand. As part of the deal, Under Armour has also acquired the talents of Unless founder and former Adidas exec Eric Liedtke, who has been named EVP–brand strategy at Under Armour.

That’s certainly a major role for Liedtke at a company that has struggled at times with its brand strategy and identity in markets as diverse as running and team sports.

After a 26-year career at Adidas Group, culminating in roles as brand president and Executive Board member from 2014 to 2019, Liedtke in 2020 founded Unless with the mission to “prove that plants could replace plastics in the creation of apparel and footwear.”

According to UA, Liedtke will work on Under Armour’s brand identity and storytelling, its comprehensive strategic planning process and executing transformational initiatives that accelerate growth for UA while continuing to lead and curate Unless. As a sign of the importance of the role, he will report directly to Under Armour president and CEO Kevin Plank.

“Sports, inspiration and culture bring people together and I am honored by the opportunity to contribute to Under Armour’s long legacy as an iconic brand that connects across these dimensions,” says Liedtke. “I see tremendous opportunity to elevate the brand, enable deeper loyalty, and drive growth among new and existing consumers.”

Adds Plank: “We are thrilled to welcome Eric and the Unless team to Under Armour. With Eric’s best-in-class history of driving exceptional growth in the branded sports industry and an established reputation as an exceptional leader, his experience will be a tremendous asset in galvanizing Under Armour’s brand strategy, refining our operating model, and ensuring that every facet of consumer engagement is moving our brand forward.”