Footasylum has appointed Hannah Mercer as its new Chief Executive.
She takes up the role in May, having had over 10 years of experience at sports giants, Nike and adidas. More recently she was Global General Manager at Gymshark, heading up its wholesale, retail and franchise operations.
Last month, Rochdale-based Footasylum confirmed that its previous CEO, David Pujolar was stepping down. The fast-growing high street brand is owned by Aurelius Group, with Stephan Rahmede taking over on an interim basis.
“Hannah is a highly credible retail leader with experience building and scaling omnichannel brands across streetwear, sportswear and premium retail,” said Rahmede, senior representative of AURELIUS WaterRise.
“She combines strong commercial discipline with a clear understanding of how commercial excellence, category management, brand and community drive engagement in our business. We are confident that she will further develop Footasylum’s customer experience as a leading athleisure fashion retailer. Aurelius is looking forward to working closely with her as Footasylum builds on its momentum and continues to scale.”
READ MORE – Online accounts for almost half of Footasylum’s revenue
Before Gymshark, Mercer spent more than 6 years at Adidas in Germany and London, becoming Global Vice President, Global Key Cities in 2022. Prior to this she held senior roles at Nike in London and Amsterdam, rising to Senior Director of Retail and Franchise Operations in Western and Central Easter Europe.
Her arrival at Footasylum comes as it focuses on strengthening “its differentiated streetwear proposition” and expanding its omnichannel operations. It’s recently started expansion across DACH and Gulf regions and is currently opening new and upsized stores across the UK.
“Footasylum is a brand with a powerful identity, a highly engaged customer base and a unique position in youth culture. I have long admired the business and the way it connects with its communities, and I am excited to work with the team to build on these solid foundations,” added Hannah Mercer, Chief Executive Officer of Footasylum.
“With strong momentum across the business, I see significant opportunity for further growth, both in the UK and internationally.”
