PrimaLoft President Anne Cavassa Promoted to CEO a Month After Joining the Company
After PrimaLoft Inc. hired footwear industry veteran Anne Cavassa as president in November, the material technology company announced on Wednesday that Cavassa will now add the title of CEO.
According to PrimaLoft, this is the acceleration of a planned succession to “the next phase of the company’s leadership,” as Mike Joyce prepares to step down after a decade as president and CEO. He will transition to the role of vice chair on the company’s board of directors.
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Cavassa, who most recently served as president of Saucony, joined PrimaLoft earlier this year “in a strategic move that reinforces PrimaLoft’s commitment to growth, innovation and sustainability.”
“What drew me to this position is the brand’s rich history of innovation, delivering outstanding performance and sustainable products,” Cavassa said in a statement at the time. “I look forward to the opportunity to work with some of the world’s best brands, and I’m particularly excited about our next phase in building brand equity and forging a strong connection with consumers.”
Upon the announcement of her promotion, Cavassa praised Joyce’s transformational leadership of the company. “After spearheading the establishment of PrimaLoft as its own company in 2012, Mike is, in essence, the founder of PrimaLoft, taking the company from a small business with a big vision to the market leader in branded synthetic insulation. I am happy to continue to work with Mike in his new position on the board of directors,” Cavassa said in a statement on Wednesday.
In her new leadership role, PrimaLoft said Cavassa will assume responsibility for day-to-day operations, and will collaborate with Joyce to advance the company’s growth.
“Our company purpose is to balance the intersection of people, products and the planet,” Joyce said in a statement. “Anne embodies these beliefs and brings extensive leadership experience from renowned active lifestyle brands. This is an ideal opportunity to bring in a proven leader to help bring PrimaLoft forward to the next level and, for me, she was the only choice.”
Prior to PrimaLoft, Cavassa was the president of Saucony, a position she held from May 2018 until she stepped down in May 2023. Prior to Saucony, Cavassa held leadership positions at several running, athletic and outdoor industry heavyweights. The most recent role prior to joining Saucony was chief customer experience officer and SVP of marketing and apparel for Brooks. Her experience also includes stints at Timberland, Nike, Ibex, Eastern Mountain Sports and Reebok.
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