Stephanie Linnartz

After 25 years climbing the ranks at Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel chain, Stephanie Linnartz is taking on a massive new challenge at Under Armour. The former president of (and highest-ranking female executive at) Marriott, Linnartz had been seen as a potential next CEO there—but after she was instead named No. 2 to her colleague Tony Capuano in 2021, she eventually decided to take her own career advice: “Take the toughest, most difficult job or project someone can give you, because that’s how you move ahead.” For Linnartz, that meant in February becoming CEO of Under Armour, the once-buzzy (and still bro-y) performance-based sportswear retailer still controlled by executive chairman and founder Kevin Plank. Linnartz is the third CEO, including one interim chief executive, to work for Plank since 2020. She’s come in with what she calls a three-year plan to restart the company’s growth, in part by increasing its offerings in athleisure and women’s clothing, and to create a more elite and less “inconsistent” reputation. Investors aren’t yet won over—Under Armour’s shares are down about 25% since Linnartz took over—but she tells Fortune that she relishes the challenge ahead. “I’ve always been a big believer in taking risk, and saying, ‘How can I grow myself as a leader and a human being?’” she says. “There’s incredible love for the brand, globally—and so I’m super excited about it.”