Another one of Under Armour’s C-suite leaders is leaving the company, according to a Tuesday 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Tchernavia Rocker’s resignation is effective June 1. The chief people and administrative officer informed the company on April 11 that she is stepping down for personal reasons.
Rocker is one of the retailer’s longest-tenured C-suite members. She joined the company in February 2019 as chief people and culture officer; Rocker assumed her current position in June 2020. The regulatory filing did not say who would take over Rocker’s responsibilities upon her departure.The company did not immediately respond to Retail Dive’s request for comment on that issue.
“We thank Tchernavia for her many contributions to Under Armour throughout the past five years. She has been an incredible leader for this brand and thought partner across our executive leadership,” Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said in a statement in the regulatory filing. “Always with a focus on the heart of our business, Tchernavia has played a pivotal role in building, while fostering a culture of inclusion, diversity, and teammate development – efforts that contributed to Under Armour being recognized as one of the most trustworthy companies in America.”
Rocker’s departure is the latest of several high-profile leadership changes at the sportswear and footwear company. Last month, Under Armour unexpectedly announced that CEO Stephanie Linnartz would leave the company after just over a year in that role. In Linnartz’s place, the company brought back founder Kevin Plank, who took over on April 1.
Linnartz is serving in an advisory role until her official exit on April 30. Plank is stepping down as executive chair of the board, with board member Mohamed El-Erian becoming the board’s non-executive chairperson.
Linnartz initiated a major update to the company’s C-suite during her tenure, which was ongoing when her departure was announced. The changes included the exit of former Chief Operating Officer Colin Browne, who briefly served as interim CEO. In recent months, the company also brought on a new: chief consumer officer, chief communications officer, chief design officer, chief supply chain officer, a leader for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and a senior vice president of direct-to-consumer for the Americas.
Rocker’s departure leaves two women in Under Armour’s C-suite: Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary Mehri Shadman and Kara Trent, the company’s president of the Americas. Last summer, the company laid off 50 people in corporate roles, saying then that the move enabled the retailer to better align itself for the next chapter of growth.
