Dr. Martens’ Global Creative Director Darren McKoy Exits Company After 10 Years
Dr. Martens is starting 2025 off with two executive changes.
On Monday, Dr. Martens’ global creative director Darren McKoy announced his departure from the UK-based footwear company after ten years. In a length post on LinkedIn, McKoy gave a “heartfelt thank you” to an “incredible decade.”
“Exactly 10 years to the week, I joined the brand at a time when it was ready to take bold risks,” McKoy wrote. “With an amazing set of passionate people—both long-standing and new—true brand ambassadors who shared an unwavering belief in its potential, we helped transform the business from a circa 136 million pound company to a 1 billion pound powerhouse.”
The executive said that he made the decision to exit the company early last year and to “embrace new opportunities and creative challenges.”
“It wasn’t an easy choice, as you can imagine, but I feel now is the right time to close this amazing chapter and start writing the next,” McKoy wrote. “Dr. Martens will always be a part of me, and I’ll be cheering on the next chapter for this incredible brand and the next generation of wearers who will undoubtedly take it to new heights.”
In a statement sent to FN, Dr. Martens thanked the executive for his contributions. “Over the last decade, Darren (known to many of us as DMac), has played a significant role in our brand’s journey,” the spokesperson stated. “His passion for Docs, and his drive to support the brand’s growth across all markets has been valued by everyone, and we wish him the very best in his new endeavors.”
McKoy rose to the role of global creative director in 2022 after serving over four years as global product category director, helping to lead the company’s design and product teams.
McKoy cut his teeth in the business while studying retail marketing management in Leeds, UK and received an early education in streetwear and brand curation at the men’s retailer Hip, also in Leeds.
Roles at several large British retailers soon followed before two major product positions as global product manager for Adidas Originals and EMEA product manager for The North Face. These roles led McKoy to join Asics Europe in 2012, where he served as category manager for Asics Tiger and Onitsuka Tiger until he joined Dr. Martens in 2015.
This news comes the same day as Dr. Martens welcomed its new chief executive officer. As previously reported by FN in April, Ije Nwokorie, previously the company’s chief brand officer, was set to take over for outgoing CEO Kenny Wilson at the end of the financial year. Today was Nwokorie’s first day, and Wilson will remain a part of the wider global leadership team until March 31 to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.
In November, Dr. Martens had a tough start to the fiscal year, swinging to a pre-tax loss of 28.7 million pounds on the back of an 18 percent decline in revenue to 324.6 million pounds in the first half.
The company has been revamping its strategy in the wake of declining wholesale sales, inventory and supply chain problems in the U.S. It has also been looking to keep a lid on costs.
The company said that in the six months ended Sept. 29, all regions performed in line with its modest expectations, with revenue in the EMEA region, which includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa, down 16 percent; the Americas revenue declining 22 percent; and Asia Pacific falling 12 percent.