With MapMyFitness cofounders' departure, Under Armour loses last of its health app founders

By Jonah Comstock
02:56 pm
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Under Armour announced a number of executive changes that affect the sports apparel company’s Connected Fitness business, including the departure of MyFitnessPal founders Mike and Albert Lee, the company’s Chief Digital Officer and SVP Digital Product, respectively.

“We're appreciative of the nearly three years that Mike and Al have fully and generously served at Under Armour following the acquisition in early 2015,” Chief Technology Officer Paul Fipps said in a statement. “During this time, their leadership, partnership, and vision have made a significant contribution to ensuring that Under Armour's digital business is in the best position for success.”

Under Armour acquired MapMyRun in 2013, followed by MapMyFitness and Endomondo in 2015, to create its Connected Fitness business. Mike Lee served as Chief Digital Officer after Robin Thurston, former CEO of MapMyRun, left the company in July 2016. Thurston founded consumer genomics startup Helix after leaving Under Armour.

Mette Lykke, the CEO of Endomondo, served as VP International at Under Armour until May of this year, when she quietly left to serve as CEO of Too Good to Go, an app that helps restaurants avoid throwing away food by making it available at low prices to users of the app.

“After 10 years in one place, I was ready to try something else,” Lykke told Scandinavian Traveler, a European airline magazine, in August.

That means that as of now, all of the founders Under Armour hired through its fitness app acquisition spree have now left the company. That could presage a murky future for Under Armour's Connected Fitness business. Less than two months ago, the company announced it was discontinuing HealthBox and its fitness hardware push.

Under Armour also announced two new hires at the executive level.

David Bergman, who has served as acting CFO since February, will officially move into the CFO role. He stepped into the role after CFO Chip Molloy stepped down for personal reasons. Bergman has been with Under Armour since 2004. Before that he worked as an accountant at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young.

"David Bergman brings strong financial expertise, leadership, and a deep understanding of the Under Armour brand to this role," Under Armour Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank said in a statement. "In his 13-year career at UA, he has a proven track record of developing and leading our global finance organization through significant milestones including our initial public offering, helping to create our international business, and through our restructuring efforts this year – driving consistently higher standards of return-oriented, financial discipline." 

Additionally, Michael LaGuardia, former head of product for Yahoo! Finance and Yahoo! Sports, will join in Albert Lee’s former role as SVP Digital Product. He’ll oversee digital product development out of the company’s San Francisco office.

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