Wolverine Worldwide has recruited Sue Rechner and appointed her as president of Merrell, reporting to Todd Spaletto, the former executive of The North Face who was recently named president of Wolverine's broader Outdoor & Lifestyle Group. Rechner has been more than 25 years in the outdoor industry. After working as president of Victorinox Swiss Army in the U.S., with global responsibility for apparel and timepieces, she spent the past ten years as president and chief executive of Confluence Outdoor, the American manufacturer of kayaks, canoes and other paddle sports products that has grown strongly under her leadership. Rechner is a board member of the Outdoor Foundation and has been vice chairman of the Outdoor Industry Association's executive committee. Merrell had been without a president since the departure in May 2015 of Gene McCarthy, who is now in charge of Asics America. Wolverine's biggest brand had been led since then by a veteran of the group, Jim Zwiers, who has been serving lately as executive vice president in charge of leading the group's strategic transformation.