New Era Cap LLC has hired Oofos veteran Steve Gallo as its GM for North America.
The headwear company said in a statement today that Gallo will lead product, marketing and commercial efforts in North America from its Buffalo, N.Y., headquarters. New Era Cap said the region, which is comprised of the U.S. and Canada, is its largest.
Gallo’s appointment to the GM for North America role, according to New Era Cap, is critical in executing its new strategic vision under the leadership of co-presidents Jim Grundtisch and Jim Patterson. This plan, according to the company, is focused on three strategic pillars — brand, e-commerce and apparel — which have each been identified as drivers of growth and customer expansion.
New Era Cap said Gallo, who most recently served as president of the active recovery footwear brand Oofos, began his tenure in September.
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“Throughout my career, I’ve always wanted to associate myself with brands that have high consumer advocacy and an enormous amount of growth potential. New Era Cap has both of those foundational elements,” Gallo said in a statement. “I was fully bought in after meeting with company leadership. Chris Koch, Jim Grundtisch, Jim Patterson and the team are building something very special here, and I’m excited to oversee and help shape the success of its blueprint across North America.”
Gallo has 20 years of sportswear industry experience. Prior to serving as president of Oofos, a position he held for nearly six years, Gallo held leadership roles at Adidas and Reebok.
“We are thrilled to add a leader of Steve Gallo’s caliber to our ranks. His arrival as general manager for North America speaks to New Era Cap’s renewed commitment to attracting top-tier talent,” Grundtisch said in a statement. “We concentrate on our people, from customers to employees to partners, because they are the heart of our brand. It was clear from our first conversation that Steve not only has the expertise and acumen for the job, but he also gets what makes New Era Cap so special and iconic.”
Patterson added, “Steve is the right leader at the right time for our North American business. He’s one of our industry’s biggest thinkers and most effective executives. We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the impact he will undoubtedly make as we work together to accelerate New Era Cap’s ongoing growth.”
