The world’s largest sports retail cooperative has formalized brand partnership strategy as a standalone C-level function, appointing long-serving insider Stephan Schwarz to lead it.
Intersport International Corporation has added a fourth executive to its top management team, appointing Stephan Schwarz to the newly created position of Chief Strategic Brands Partnership Officer (CSBPO).
The move expands IIC’s executive management structure, previously comprising CEO Tom Foley, CFO Christian Wille and Chief Commercial Officer Pierre Irelli, and formalizes brand partnership strategy as a distinct C-level function.
The appointment suggests the organization sees alignment with brand partners as a priority that warrants dedicated executive ownership.
According to IIC, the expanded team is intended to support the next phase of strategic development. The stated priorities include accelerating internal decision-making, improving commercial collaboration and reinforcing the position of national member organizations within the wider international network.
Schwarz brings an insider’s perspective to the role. Schwarz has spent most of a career within the Intersport ecosystem, most recently serving five years at Intersport Switzerland before moving to the international entity. The background spans strategic brands, category management and product strategy – the disciplines that feed into the new function.
