Heelys Hires Adman Hansen as Head Honcho

Advertising executive Tom Hansen is leaving TM Advertising in Dallas to join skate shoe manufacturer Heelys as CEO.

Hansen, who helped turn around the fortunes of TM Advertising as president, is being brought on to aid the struggling Heelys.

Hansen created advertising campaigns for clients such as Hallmark, McDonald’s and Miller Brewing. He also headed the Gigasphere Group, a Dallas-based broadband delivery service, and Square One, an ad agency he founded in 1995.

Heelys markets a brand of roller shoes that have one or more wheels embedded in each sole, similar to inline skates. Over one million pairs of the shoes were sold in their first year alone.