Embattled athletic wear maker Under Armour is parting company with Peter Ruppe, the head of its struggling footwear division, after less than two years in the role.

Ryan Drew, previously the general manager of the company’s basketball division, will take over Ruppe’s position.

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Former Nike executive Ruppe was hired in January 2015 to lead the footwear business unit, one of the company’s  key growth categories and seen as a key driver of the brand’s long-term success.

And in September he oversaw the opening of a dedicated global innovation hub for footwear design in Portland, Oregon that brings footwear design and development under one roof.

However, Under Armour has struggled with stalling sales in North America, its main market, and last month slashed its full-year earnings guidance. In its most recent third quarter, sales fell 5% to US$1.4bn, with apparel revenues down 8% and footwear revenues up 2%.

A restructuring announced earlier this year saw around 280 jobs cuts, or 2% of the company’s global workforce, with half of the jobs lost in Baltimore where Under Armour is headquartered.

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Ruppe is the latest in a line of executives to leave the company, with recent departures including its co-founder Kip Fulks, and the heads of its women’s, youth and sport fashion divisions.

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