The appointment ends a nine-month vacancy at the house, as Balenciaga moves deeper into its Techwear era under Pierpaolo Piccioli
Balenciaga has appointed Drieke Leenknegt as chief marketing officer, effective June 25. She reports to the Chief Executive Officer, Gianfranco Gianangeli, and serves on the executive committee. The role has been vacant since September 2025, when former CMO Ludivine Pont left for Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, where she took on the role of CEO.
Leenknegt brings two decades of experience in performance and lifestyle marketing, the majority of it at Nike, where she held roles across Europe, the U.S., and China, most recently serving as global vice president of influencer marketing and collaboration at the company’s Portland headquarters. From 2020 to 2022, she advised Olympic track-and-field athlete Allyson Felix on the launch of her footwear brand Saysh, before moving to VF Corporation, where she served as CMO of Timberland and subsequently Vans. Most recently, she acted as an independent adviser to clients, including Chinese activewear group Anta.
Her arrival comes as Balenciaga rolls out activations tied to the launch of its Techwear line, part of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s pre-fall 2026 collection. Fitness studio takeovers, post-workout bars, and smoothie installations are running through July 4, marking a deliberate repositioning of the house into wellness-adjacent territory. Leenknegt’s background in performance brand marketing and influencer strategy makes her a pointed hire for a moment when Balenciaga is working to build credibility in a space that rewards authenticity over spectacle.