Tell us a little about yourself and about Brooks Running
For those who may not be familiar with Brooks, we are quite an old company. Brooks was founded in 1914 in the US, so we are 106 years old. Brooks started out as an all sports category manufacturer and over the years morphed into what we are today, which is a maker of industry-leading performance running gear. We narrowed our focus to performance running in 2001 and have been exclusively bringing running shoes, running bras, apparel and accessories to the market ever since with a clear purpose to inspire everyone to run their path to a better self. That is why we exist as an organization, and it’s an incredibly rewarding purpose to bring alive.
My path to Brooks was via the road less traveled. I began my career as a business lawyer in Seattle with a practice focused on technology and IP-related transactions. In 2012 I started working with Brooks as outside counsel, which gave me the chance to get to know the brand, business and team. I fell in love with the company and moved over to Brooks in 2013. Prior to starting my current role as Managing Director of EMEA I had the privilege of leading both the Legal and HR functions in our Global Headquarters in Seattle, so I’ve been very fortunate to have diverse and interesting career growth opportunities at Brooks.
Brooks has won many accolades over the years for its running shoes including being chosen in Germany as the N°1 running brand of the year by SAZ magazine 2 years running. What makes a great running shoe?
Our focus at Brooks is to create the best running gear, tools and experiences to move runners along their path. When it comes to building running shoes, our efforts are grounded in: (1) solving for the biomechanical needs of runners; and (2) enabling more choice in the type of experience that runners want. Stated simply, it’s about solving for both the “needs” and “wants” of runners. On the “needs” side of the equation, through our extensive R&D explorations we’ve developed the point of view that the way to enhance comfort and improve performance on the run is to work with the runner’s natural preferred motion path of his or her joints. It is a holistic view of the body in motion. And we all run differently, there is no “right” way to run from a biomechanical perspective.
This is our Run Signature Philosophy, and it represents a paradigm shift in thinking within our industry which has long focused on trying to solve specifically for ankle pronation. Our approach provides a science-based foundation for our shoe building efforts. When it comes to “wants” it is all about enabling runners to choose the experience they want, regardless of their unique biomechanical needs. Some may want to feel soft cushioning when they strike the ground while others may want maximum energy return to propel their run.
We want all runners to be able to choose their preferred experience on the run regardless of how they run. Getting this equation right allows us to offer the best fit, feel and ride for your run.