New Balance has announced the death of Steve Ettridge, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 56 year old, and he had been promoted to the position of vice president of global merchandising in February this year. Ettridge spent 27 years at the Boston-based athletic footwear company, starting with marketing and product roles and leading the brand’s entry into Cross-Training and Kids. He is credited to have helped grow the company’s annual global sales from $125 million to $1 billion in the late ‘90s. After three years in the role of international footwear and brand marketing manager, Ettridge took on the leadership of global merchandising in 2009. New Balance says he was instrumental in the organization’s creation of global business units and the integration of all product teams.

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