Interning with Under Armour--Kristyn Daly

I had no idea what to expect from this entire experience. Being in another country halfway around the world for two months with a group of people I didn’t know sounded insane. We’ve been here for two weeks now and I can honestly say that this experience is once in a lifetime. I’m loving Hong Kong, minus the humidity, and growing closer with the group every day. I was worried about time going too slow and having seven weeks drag by. It turns out that time is flying by and I wish it would slow down.

I’m interning with Under Armour this summer, which is crazy considering the headquarters is about an hour and a half from UD in Baltimore, Maryland.  My supervisor is from the home office and is in Hong Kong for the next 2 ½ years. The Hong Kong office employs 65 people on one floor in the building. Rumor has it we’re on the 37^th floor because that was the founder and CEO’s college football number.

Under Armour's mission statement is mounted on the wall in the reception area.

In the 8 days I’ve worked at Under Armour, I’ve started working on a few projects. I was first assigned to redesign the “War Room,” which is a room that has a series of spreadsheets, graphs, etc. that are snapshots of every vendor the office is responsible for. The day after I was assigned that project, I was told to forget about it and work on two others—vendor scorecards and vendor profiles. The scorecards haven’t really been completed before, so I was expected to create a template for the scorecards. It was a two-week deadline, which seemed impossible, but I knew I had to find a way to get it done. Under Armour is all about finding a way, which is really encouraging. I’m quickly realizing that adjusting to change and being adaptable is really important in the corporate world.

Throughout the office there are
manikins dressed in UA gear.

The scorecard project is currently on hold, so I’ve been focusing a lot of my time on vendor profiles. I’ve been in contact with all the vendors for information and have also contacted multiple people at the home office. The time difference is a huge adjustment because I know my questions won’t be answered until after my workday is over.

The newest shoe, the SpeedForm, is expected to hit the market soon!
http://gizmodo.com/speedform-under-armour-has-built-a-bra-for-your-feet-510120541

I’m learning a lot about sourcing, the different vendors, and Under Armour products. In the next few weeks, I’ll be visiting a factory that’s making a new pair of shoes that will hit the market in the very near future. The shoes have a seamless heel-cup so they fit like a sock. It’s never been done before, and it’s proof that Under Armour continues to be innovative.  I’m so excited to be a part of a company that's growing at an incredible rate.

Kristyn Daly

Under Armour