Thread Announces New Executive Hire From Under Armour

Pittsburgh, PA, August 4, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​Thread, the leader in creating jobs in low-income countries through re-imagining waste into new products, announces a recent addition to the company’s executive team to meet the increasing demand of Thread Ground to Good™ yarn, fabric, and t-shirts.

Bill Besselman, former Vice President of Connected Fitness Strategy and Integration at Under Armour, joins Thread with a rich and successful career in retail, consumer goods, and corporate strategy. An industry veteran with experience at American Eagle, McKinsey & Co., and a wide variety of other Retail and Consumer Goods enterprises, Bill will serve as Thread’s Executive Vice President.

"Bill Besselman shares our conviction that retail is not innovative enough in meeting the needs of the 21st century customer, and he's here to help us build Thread into the preeminent purpose-driven brand in the industry."

Ian Rosenberger , Founder and CEO

“Bill is a proven operator and disruptor. He brings world-class experience to an already great team and will have an immediate and profound impact on Thread’s growth,” said Ian Rosenberger, Founder and CEO of Thread. “He shares our conviction that retail is not innovative enough in meeting the needs of the 21st century customer, and he’s here to help us build Thread into the preeminent purpose-driven brand in the industry.”

“The greatest brands are those that find a way to deliver emotional value above and beyond great product and do it within a large commercial market,” said Mr. Besselman. “By working with the world’s best brands to make the most connected apparel and footwear in history, we’re transforming an industry to truly connect people with the products they wear.” 

At Under Armour, Mr. Besselman sat on the senior leadership team, and managed all aspects of the company’s digital strategy development, including integration of recent acquisitions MapMyFitness, MyFitness Pal, and Endomondo into the Under Armour business. Before that, he led the corporate strategy team, where his role was to identify, gather, and drive strategic initiatives and the voice of the customer across UA’s innovation, product, marketing, and channel teams.

Prior to joining Under Armour, Bill served as the Senior Vice President, Merchandise Planning & Allocation and Corporate Strategy at American Eagle Outfitters. Earlier in his career, he spent a number of years at McKinsey & Co., in both strategic and operational roles in a wide variety of Retail and Consumer Goods enterprises.

About Thread
Thread, a Certified B Corporation based in Pittsburgh, PA, transforms waste from the poorest, most disenfranchised places on the planet into jobs. Each product made with Thread™ yarn supports income opportunities in low income countries, while cleaning streets, neighborhoods, and waterways. Thread recently announced a partnership with global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland, which will debut in Spring 2017. See how at www.threadinternational.com or follow the Ground to Good™ story.

Source: Thread