Genesco Inc. named David Baxter president and CEO of its Lids Sports Group and a senior vice president of Genesco. The specialty retailer and wholesaler also added a senior vice president of sales to its Licensed Brands business.

Genesco, No. 496 in the Internet Retailers 2016 Top 500 Guide, sells branded footwear, headwear, licensed sports apparel and accessories on its websites and in stores. Lids Sports Group division operates the Lids headwear stores, the Locker Room by Lids and team sports fan shops and single-team clubhouse stores and operates within Genesco’s Hat World Inc. subsidiary.

In February, Kenneth Kocher resigned as president of Lids Sports Group and as a senior vice president of Genesco. He was expected to stay with the company in a consulting role for up to six months.

“We are delighted that David Baxter has agreed to join Lids Sports Group, and believe that he is uniquely qualified to lead the company through the next phase of its growth as an omnichannel retailer,” says Robert J. Dennis, Genesco chairman, president and CEO. “David’s deep knowledge of the licensed sports industry, his experience across both retail and wholesale, and his record of success in leading businesses and people, make him an ideal choice to lead the Lids Sports Group at this time.”

Baxter, from 2006-14, served as president of the Sports Licensed Division for adidas/Reebok. When adidas acquired Reebok, he oversaw adidas’ and Reebok’s sports licensed business with the
NBA, MLS, NHL and WNBA professional sports leagues and with the NCAA. Prior to joining Reebok in 2001, Baxter held management roles in sports-related retailers and wholesale consumer products companies.

Genesco also named a new executive to its Licensed Brands division. Neil Padden is senior vice president of sales, overseeing sales for Dockers, Chaps and G.H. Bass & Co. brands. He also will help drive strategy and performance of the Licensed Brands wholesale business, which is comprised primarily of footwear sold under the G.H. Bass & Co. and Dockers brands, Genesco says. He will report to Andy Gilbert, president of Genesco Licensed Brands.

“As we build our brand portfolio with heritage brands like G.H. Bass & Co. and drive performance with legacy partnerships such as Dockers and Chaps, Neil’s leadership in sales, merchandising and overall strategy will be a tremendous asset for the team,” Gilbert says.

Padden joins Genesco from Puma, where he was vice president of lifestyle sales, directing distribution strategy and developing strategic partnerships. Prior to Puma, he was vice president of field sales at The Rockport Co. and senior account executive for The Timberland Co.

Favorite