Callaway Makes Major Leadership Move After Good Good Controversy With Former Marketing Chief’s Return
Callaway Makes Major Leadership Move After Good Good Controversy With Former Marketing Chief’s Return
Sudeep Sinha Tue, October 20, 2026 at 7:01 AM UTC
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ST. LOUIS, MO – AUGUST 20: The golf bag of Sam Burns of the United States sponsored by Callaway sits from the 5th fairway during the first round of the PGA, Golf Herren BMW Championship ship round one on Thursday August 20th, 2026 at Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, MO Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire GOLF: AUG 20 PGA BMW Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2608206077117 ©IMAGO/Icon Sportswire
It has been nearly two months since the Good Good Golf controversy prompted Callaway to sever ties with the content creator group. Now, the company has made another major move. According to a press release from Callaway on Monday, Harry Arnett has been appointed as the new Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer.
In his new role, Arnett will look after the company’s global brand strategy and demand creation efforts. This will require him to bring together brand building, creative communications and consumer-facing strategies. Meanwhile, President and Chief Executive Officer Chip Brewer has welcomed Arnett back into the company.
“We are very excited to have Harry return home to his Callaway family,” Brewer said. “Harry brings a rare combination of creative vision, commercial instinct, and a deep understanding of the golf consumer. During Harry’s first chapter with Callaway, he helped establish a more modern, consumer-focused approach to brand building and demand creation that contributed to Callaway’s resurgence as a leader in the golf industry.
“During that time, our U.S. hard goods dollar market share, as reported by Golf DataTech, increased over 1,000 basis points to 24.0%, we re-claimed the # 1 US club brand position from 2015 – 2020, and we began our market share climb in golf balls that continues to this day. We are excited about what we can accomplish together in this next chapter.”
Callaway's shake-up signals a strategic reset amid industry turbulence. Stay informed on how golf's biggest brands navigate controversy and leadership transitions.
Arnett was previously the head of global brand and marketing for the company between 2012 and 2019. He left the job because he began feeling that he was no longer as engaged in his role as he once had been. In an earlier conversation with his father, who was suffering from dementia, Arnett admitted that he was unhappy at work.
His father encouraged him to recognise how becoming too absorbed in an organisation could cause someone to lose sight of themselves. Arnett also had a long-standing plan to build a brand with actor Mark Wahlberg. The two had discussed the idea for years, and Wahlberg eventually challenged him to stop talking about it and take the risk.
Arnett decided to leave the security of a job he loved and co-found Municipal, a sportswear and lifestyle brand designed for active consumers. Now, years later, coming back to the company means a great deal to him.
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“Coming back to Callaway means a great deal to me and my family,” Arnett said. “I’ve long believed Callaway is one of the truly iconic brands in all of sports, and I couldn’t be more excited to reunite with the incredible people who make Callaway special. The team has done tremendous work sharpening the Company’s focus on golf and putting it in a strong position for its next chapter.
“Now we have an opportunity to build on that momentum, create new energy around the brand, deepen our connection with golfers, and take Callaway to an entirely different level. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work with the team.”
It’s worth noting that Brewer issued a public apology after the Good Good Golf ad controversy. He admitted that Callaway’s internal review and approval process for the ad was “not comprehensive enough,” and initiated an internal investigation. Then Callaway made internal structural fixes to its approval workflows and parted ways with its director of content and production, Alex Upegui.
The company also committed a $1 million donation to organizations dedicated to preventing domestic violence against women and supporting survivors.
And in case you need a refresher, in August 2026, Good Good Golf released a promotional ad with Callaway for a co-branded Quantum driver. In it, co-founder Garrett Clark aggressively shoves female creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she reaches for the club in his bag, then stands over her and says menacingly, “Do not touch my new driver.”
Although the clip was deleted, the damage was already done. People felt it depicted and trivialized violence against women.
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Source: “AOL Money”
