Wolverine is relying on its Active Group—especially Merrell and Saucony—as the main growth engine in its brand-focused turnaround; Active Group revenue rose 13.0% in 2025, and second-quarter 2026 sales increased 9.3%.
The dedicated leader for that growth engine is gone. The company eliminated the President, Active Group position effective September 21, 2026. Susie Kuhn, who had overseen strategy and growth for Merrell, Saucony, and Chaco since joining in October 2024, also left the company that day. 〔0〕
The immediate message is simplification, but the execution risk is real. Wolverine says Kuhn’s duties will be distributed across the organization rather than replaced. 〔1〕 That can reduce management layers, but it also removes a single executive accountable for coordinating the portfolio’s strongest brands at a time when Active Group performance is carrying much of the business momentum.
There is no announced successor or operational reset. The filing gives no reason for Kuhn’s departure, no named replacement, and no change to brand strategy or financial outlook, so the event is more about leadership continuity than a confirmed change in the underlying business plan.
Bottom line: This is a meaningful leadership disruption in Wolverine’s most important growth group, softened only by the possibility that management is deliberately flattening the structure. The business strategy remains intact, but accountability for executing it is now less clear.
Read the original 8-K on SEC EDGAR ↗