Former Sports Authority chief executive David Campisi has been appointed chairman and chief executive of Respect Your Universe, a Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts apparel firm.
Campisi was CEO at Englewood-based Sports Authority until August 2011.
Campisi had been a RYU director prior to Monday’s appointment.
In a statement, RYU noted that Christopher Martens, its former chief executive, had resigned Monday and the company agreed to pay Martens four months salary as severance.
Last month, RYU announced its first retail location at The Shoppes at the Palazzo in Las Vegas.
“With his extensive expertise, experience and knowledge in the retail industry, he will help further accelerate and execute the growth of RYU in the direction we are quickly moving in,” RYU said in a statement.
Campisi resigned last August as Englewood-based Sports Authority chief executive shortly after the company inked a deal to hang its name on the Broncos’ stadium.
On Aug. 16, 2011, the Metropolitan Football Stadium District voted to change the name of Invesco Field at Mile High to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, giving a new visibility to the privately held operator of 470 stores. Campisi had held the top job at Sports Authority since 2010.
Sports Authority said Campisi’s “decision to resign was a personal one…and had nothing to do with Sports Authority’s relationship with the Denver Broncos or its decision to assume the stadium’s naming rights.”
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or
