J. Michael Prince named new COO for USPA Global Licensing Inc.

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jun 16, 2017

Former Cole Haan executive J. Michael Prince has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer of USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) and will head its $1.5 billion dollar US Polo Assn. apparel brand.

Prince most recently held the President and COO roles with Cole Haan, where he served in these capacities for over three years. Before Cole Haan, Prince was COO at Guess for two years. His COO roles focused on international branding, licensing and retail which are key skills for USPAGL's business.

Prior to his COO roles, Prince focused on financials. He spent four years as Chief Financial Officer with Converse. He then moved to parent company, Nike, where he was CFO of Nike Affiliates for another year. At the time, Nike's Affiliates included Converse, Hurley, Cole Haan and Umbro.

USPAGL is the exclusive licensing entity and broadcaster for the US Polo Association (USPA). The USPA is a non-profit and is the official governing body for the sport of polo in the US. USPAGL also manages the US Polo Assn. brand retail operations.

US Polo Assn. currently operates 877 branded retail locations. Its growth plan is to reach 1,000 stores and $2 billion in retail sales globally. It sells men's, women's and children's clothing. It also spans multiple categories including accessories, footwear and home.

USPAGL was particularly interested in Prince's history of working with Wall Street banks and private investors to raise capital.

USPAGL President and CEO David Cummings affirmed the company's growth trajectory and said, "Prince's expertise and sense of strategic direction [are] perfect for our global brand expansion."

To introduce Prince to the sport of polo, he will attend the FIP World Polo Championship taking place in Australia this October. The US Polo Assn. apparel brand is the official sponsor of the event and will be outfitting all 25 teams competing.