06.08.2020

A Message From Under Armour CEO Patrik Frisk

The following letter was shared by Patrik Frisk with Under Armour’s global teammates on June 8, 2020. 

 

At Under Armour, our company values are clear: 

 

  • Love Athletes
  • Fight on Together
  • Create Fearlessly
  • Always Connect
  • Stay True
  • Think Beyond
  • Celebrate the Wins
  • Stand for Equality

We stand with our Black teammates, athletes, consumers and community, both in the United States and around the globe, through our company value of Stand for Equality because Black Lives Matter

 

Over the past week, as my leadership team and I listened to our Black teammates express a variety of emotions from anger to frustration to exhaustion, not only about the recent incidents, but the history of social injustice and systemic racism in the United States and throughout the globe, we recognized the immense responsibility we have to do so much more. I want to thank those that bravely spoke out to advocate for change, especially members of our BEAT (Black Employees Achieving Together) Teammate Resource Group that have been unwavering in their commitment to making UA better.

 

At this moment, regardless of our intentions, regardless of our past efforts, we need to be radically honest and acknowledge that when we look back at our past track record, it’s clear we could have done more, done better, done things faster. Our teammates and athletes deserve better. We are a global company with incredible talent in our corporate offices, our retail locations, our distribution centers and within our family of athletes, and we owe it to them–and to all of you–to do better.

 

We are committed to supporting and providing resources to not only our teammates and athletes, but our consumers and communities to advance social justice, eradicate systemic racism and be part of the work towards building a better tomorrow–for everyone. Now is the time that we truly need to live by our value, “Stand for Equality”.  We believe in supporting all of our teammates, but we are focusing our support on our Black teammates now because their communities are in danger. 

 

Less talk, more action. The change begins now, and below is how we start:  

 

Our Teammates: A Day of Healing, Listening, Learning and Action

 

Our commitment will start with a Day of Healing, Listening, Learning, and Action that will focus on supporting our Black teammates and facilitating education and engagement on racial justice issues within our walls and in society at large. This first virtual session will be held at the end of June.

 

Our Athletes: Create Continuous Conversations

 

We have heard from many of our athletes that they want the brand to stand with them and for them, by leveraging UA’s global reach to amplify their voices and raise awareness in the fight against racial inequality. We are listening and taking steps to create an authentic, sustainable global platform to educate and engage externally in real dialogue around racial justice issues in the workplace and the world of sports. 

 

This week, we will kick off one of two new programs leveraging our social platform where athletes and teammates around the world will invite all of us into their lives and facilitate courageous and openly honest conversations on their challenges and triumphs. We encourage all of you to tune in and become better informed and equipped for your journey to becoming an active part of eradicating racial injustice. 

 

Our Workplace: Accelerate Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 

 

At Under Armour and specifically in positions of leadership, I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made over the last 18 months but recognize it’s not enough. We are committed to driving the actions that are necessary to improve our workforce diversity–specifically at management and leadership levels of the organization – through the following:

 

  • Amplification of our recruiting efforts to improve the representation of historically underrepresented groups in our corporate locations, particularly at the Director and above levels 
  • Increased funding to support the professional development of our historically underrepresented groups with a focus on career advancement  
  • Enhanced accountability measures for leaders to hire, retain and advance historically underrepresented groups 
  • Accelerated education for all teammates on creating inclusive cultures, supporting anti-racism and being an effective ally 

And we are just getting started. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with committed leadership, a genuine belief to do what is right, and the means to make it happen, we know we can succeed. At Under Armour, we Stand for Equality. Period. 

 

To our Black teammates, athletes, consumers and community. We stand with you. We see you. We hear you. You are not alone.

 

Patrik Frisk