Jon Wexler, now formerly VP GM of YEEZY and — for many sneakerheads — the face of the brand alongside Kanye West’s, has left adidas as of August 31. The news was confirmed by adidas in an internal memo obtained by Footwear News.

The email reportedly read: “We regret to inform you that Jon Wexler, VP GM of Yeezy, has decided to leave Adidas to pursue interests outside the company, effective August 31.”

It continued, “Jon, also known by many as ‘Wex,’ joined Adidas in 2000 and quickly developed through a number of positions in Brand Communications and EIM. Most recently he successfully led the Yeezy BU. Over the last two decades, Wex has made significant contributions to the Adidas brand through establishing partnerships with creators such as Kanye West, Pharrell and Beyonce, to name a few.”

As the memo says, Wexler played a huge role in shaping adidas’ partnerships and collaborative strategies at the very top, working closely with Kanye West on YEEZY, establishing Pharrell as a major player in the sneaker world, and — more recently — bringing Beyoncé into the fold.

Wexler took to Instagram to confirm the news and say goodbye to his colleagues and the brand he had worked for for a combined 18 years. Read his message below.

No news or rumors of what Wexler’s next steps will be exist at the moment, though it would be a huge loss for the sneaker community should it not be in footwear.

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