Wilson Sporting Goods loses head of marketing

Sporting goods company Wilson, which sponsors sports stars such as Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf and Michael Jordan, has lost its UK marketing chief.

Michael Green has been at Wilson Sporting Goods for the past 18 months as UK managing dir-ector overseeing marketing. He joined from Häagen-Dazs Ireland, where he was sales and marketing director .

The company, based in Chicago and owned by Finland’s Amer Group, is one of the world’s top sporting businesses with a strong profile in golf and tennis equipment in the UK.

Green’s departure last week comes only days after his US counterpart, John Riccitiello, decided to leave his post as managing director. He has been replaced by Wilson’s deputy director in the US, Jim Reid-Andreson.

The company could not confirm whether Green had left for another position.

It is understood Wilson plans to boost its UK activities this year with a campaign through Ogilvy & Mather.

A spokesman from the agency says Wilson UK has not advertised through O&M since the agency won the account from EURO RSCG in 1993.

Wilson in the US says it will be boosting its 16m account to focus on its increasing range of products. Its latest – the Invex golf club – was launched last year and used by John Daly when he won the British Open.

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