Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery were out on Wednesday after backlash over a controversial ad. Nahid Giga, one of the company’s founders and an early investor, will step in as interim CEO.
Alex Puchala, who leads finance and operations, shared the memo with staffers. In it, he wrote: “Matt helped build something extraordinary that exceeded all expectations and continues to bring countless new fans to the sport.”
Matt Kendrick and Joe Flannery
Kendrick was the outgoing CEO and one of Good Good’s founders. He told Front Office Sports that he did not view the ad before it ran, and said the marketing team oversaw it.
Flannery had been appointed to take over most of the business operations only a few days before the ad broke. That left the company replacing its top two leaders almost immediately after the fallout started.
Garrett Clark ad fallout
The ad showed Garrett Clark running toward Alexis Miestowski and pushing her to the ground. Clark said, “Do not touch my new driver,” in the spot, and Good Good previously apologized for the content.
Retailers then pulled Good Good products from shelves, and the company stepped away as the title sponsor of a fall PGA Tour event. Good Good also let go Jeff Lefkovits, its marketing head, and a second marketing team employee, while Callaway’s content head departed, according to reports.
$45 million and investor confidence
$45 million was raised last year, and Good Good had built a string of retail partnerships around that growth. The company had also rolled out its “There’s More to Golf” campaign earlier this year, adding pressure to keep its brand image intact.
A Good Good spokesperson said the company had seen growth in retail sales and followers and had maintained investor confidence even as retailers pulled products and leaders were removed. The unanswered question is who made the final decision to remove Kendrick and Flannery on Wednesday.
