Exclusive: On Taps Kenyan Running Brand Founder as New Head of Africa
On has tapped Navalayo Osembo as its new head of Africa as the running shoe and apparel brand looks to expand its presence across the continent.
Osembo joins the Swiss running company after recently announcing her decision to sell Enda Athletic, the Kenya-based running shoe brand she co-founded in 2017. The entrepreneur and CEO announced late last month that she sold the brand, which was Africa’s first performance footwear brand, to footwear and apparel development group NVH Studios, which also owns Brazilian luxury shoe brand Zeferino.
In the newly created role, Osembo will focus on building On’s Africa business, developing relationships athletes in the region and working with On’s social impact program, Right to Run.
“I am looking forward to building On in Africa authentically and holistically in a way that adds to On’s existing global efforts and elevates Africa’s voice, creativity and ingenuity,” Osembo told Footwear News in an exclusive interview. “Africa’s position is more than just putting shoes on athletes with the proven expectation that they will stand on the podium as marketing tools. Athletes from Africa face many challenges that are easier to address if one makes a concerted effort to understand the context and challenge the status quo. On is already doing so much more for athletes beyond the podium.”
Osembo started her role in January and reports to Bianca Pestalozzi, On’s general manager of EMEA. Osembo is currently based in New York and is working with the team to determine the best location to move to within a year or so.
In an interview with FN, Pestalozzi praised Osembo’s experience at Enda noted her passion for “building lasting and equitable athlete relationships and authentically commercializing products in Africa for Africa.” She added that On is currently assessing the best way to expand in Africa by learning more about the market and its consumers.
“We see a long-term opportunity to build a meaningful presence and a community of fans in both East and West Africa, building on the success of our athletes, telling their stories and also establishing a commercial footprint for On in the region,” Pestalozzi said.
Osembo, who grew up in Kenya, explained how her experience launching and running Enda helped prepare her for this new role.
“Enda allowed me to understand, at a fast pace, every facet of the industry, from design, production, supply chain management, finance and accounting and marketing,” Osembo said. “Because of this, it has been relatively easy to get into step with the different teams at On and start the work of developing a holistic approach to Africa.”
As for why On was the right choice for her, Osembo was drawn to the brand’s strong culture, as well as its approach to business building in Africa, which she said aligned with her own vision and values.
“On sees Africa as an equal in the global economy without limiting its lens to qualitative economic data,” Osembo said. “On is also not playing lip service but actively investing in the infrastructure needed in Africa to elevate athletes and deliver impact right where it matters.”
In November, On reported the strongest quarter in its history, with a 46.5 percent jump in net sales to 480.5 million Swiss francs, largely driven by its direct-to-consumer business. In the EMEA region, net sales grew 19.9 percent year-over-year to 144 million Swiss francs. In Q2, On announced a plan to exit about 200 wholesale doors in EMEA — mainly across Germany, Austria and Switzerland — that are not focused on performance and run. The impact of these closures are expected to be included in Q4 results.
