Tom Ford Steps Down as CFDA Chair, REI Co-op Adds to Its Senior Leadership Team + More News
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Who’s in, who’s out, who’s been promoted and hired — FN covers all the industry changes in one place. Know of an executive on the move? Tell us at web@footwearnews.com.
May 16, 2022: Tom Ford, who has served as chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) since June of 2019, will be ending his three-year term on May 31. CFDA CEO Steven Kolb will assume the duties of interim chair through December 31, 2022. The board’s current officers – vice-chair Tracy Reese, secretary Vera Wang, treasurer Stan Herman – will remain in place for the remainder of the year, the CFDA said. What’s more, the board unanimously elected Tory Burch, Thom Browne, and Aurora James to the board, effective June 1. The CFDA added that its board will vote on a new chairperson in the fall to start in January in alignment with CFDA’s fiscal calendar. Ford was set to be chairman for two years and extended his role for an additional year. Historically, the chairperson role was a 2-4 year term (Stan Herman and Diane von Furstenberg were the exception).
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May 16, 2022: REI Co-op has made two additions to its senior leadership team. Sylvia Wilks will join the company on May 23 as its first-ever SVP, chief supply chain officer. REI said Wilks will be responsible for the strategic leadership of its evolving global value chain and will partner with company leaders to develop its supply chain network of the future. Wilks joins REI from TireHub, and she has also had stints at Kimberly-Clark and Starbucks Corporation. Also, Minnie Alexander will join REI as its VP, general counsel and corporate secretary on May 31. REI said Alexander will oversee the management, development and operations of its legal division and serve as the corporate secretary. Additionally, in the corporate secretary role, REI said Alexander will serve as a key advisor to its board of directors. Alexander joins REI from The Walt Disney Company, and she has also had stints at Campbell Soup Company and law firm Dorsey & Whitney.
Courtesy of REI Co-op
May 16, 2022: Corneliani is collaborating with British designer Paul Surridge, who has been tasked with helping the storied company’s relaunch and repositioning, FN sister publication WWD reported. His first designs will bow for the spring 2023 Circle collection to be presented during Milan Men’s Fashion Week in June at the Corneliani showroom. The Circle collection was introduced with the spring 2020 season, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to a more sustainable model and its increasing targeting of the new generation of environmentally conscious consumers. “Paul is a talented, forward-thinking and experienced fashion designer with a passionate soul and an extraordinary background,” said Corneliani CEO Giorgio Brandazza. “This collaboration is part of a global relaunch project for the company that started in 2022 and that is showing very encouraging growth results, far above expectations.” Surridge left his role as creative director of Roberto Cavalli in 2019, after a two-year stint at the brand. A graduate of London’s Central Saint Martins, Surridge was previously creative consultant at Acne Studios in Stockholm, with responsibility for coordination of the menswear collections. Before that, he was creative director of Z Zegna from 2011 to 2014. Earlier, Surridge was design director of men’s at Jil Sander, reporting to then-creative director Raf Simons. He honed his skills at Calvin Klein and Burberry, working with Christopher Bailey from 2003 to 2007.
TONI THORIMBERT COURTESY OF CORNELIANI
May 13, 2022: Belk has announced that president Don Hendricks has been appointed interim CEO, effective Monday, May 16. Hendricks replaces Nir Patel, who has only held the top spot since July. According to the North Carolina-based retailer, Patel, who joined the company in 2016, is leaving to pursue other interests. Hendricks also joined Belk in 2016 as the chief operating officer (COO) before adding stores to his responsibilities in 2019 and being named president in 2020. Prior to joining Belk, Hendricks held positions at Gymboree, Hot Topic and Torrid, including chief information officer and COO. As president and COO, Hendricks was instrumental in leading Belk through the continued unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded the company’s initiatives to enhance its omnichannel capabilities, the company said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the talented team at Belk,” Hendricks said. “I’m proud of our continued work to advance the business in numerous ways, while still keeping the wellbeing of our customers, associates and communities as a top priority.”
May 11, 2022: Puma SE has appointed Héloïse Temple-Boyer as the chair of its supervisory board. Temple-Boyer, a bo
ard member since 2019, succeeds Jean-François Palus who resigned from the role. “It is an honor for me to succeed Jean-François Palus in the responsible position of chair of the supervisory board,” said Temple-Boyer in a statement. “It is also due to him that Puma is well positioned and well prepared for the challenges of the future. For this, he deserves our thanks on behalf of the entire supervisory board.”
May 11, 2022: JCPenney has tapped John Aylward as its new chief marketing officer, effective June 6. Aylward assumes the role as the company focuses on strengthening loyalty among its 50 million shoppers and transforms how it connects with customers. Aylward will help advance the company’s omnichannel strategy to deliver a modern, seamless experience across stores and digital. He will lead the marketing strategy, creative, visual merchandising and store design, and customer engagement teams. Aylward joins the company from CARE, the global nonprofit dedicated to ending poverty, where he served as CMO for five years. He has been a marketer in the U.S. and internationally for leading brands including HSN, DSW, Starbucks and Gap. “John will help fulfill our potential at this pivotal moment when JCPenney stands alone as a one-stop retailer,” CEO Marc Rosen said in a statement. “Additionally, John’s passion for purpose-driven work will be an important asset as we continue to provide offerings that promote inclusivity and celebrate the diversity of our customers.”
May 6, 2022: After more than 30 years at Macy’s, longtime executive Durand Guion is stepping down as VP of the store’s fashion office. He will join Fair Harbor, a growing sustainable swimwear brand, in the newly created role of SVP and creative director. According to a report from FN’s sister publication WWD, he will work closely with cofounders and siblings Caroline and Jake Danehy as they work to build Fair Harbor into a full lifestyle brand by adding a variety of categories, opening retail stores, and expanding its wholesale presence. Guion confirmed the move on Instagram on Friday. Guion joined Macy’s in 1990 as a sales manager of fashion accessories in the Union Square flagship in San Francisco. He was promoted to associate buyer of men’s accessories two years later and spent 14 years as VP and fashion director of men’s and children’s, working closely with Jeff Gennette, who had been GMM of menswear for the San Francisco-based division, and who is now chairman and CEO of Macy’s. Guion relocated to New York and was named head of the fashion office, overseeing both men’s and women’s, in 2018.
Fair Harbor
May 3, 2022: Eddie Bauer has tapped designer Christopher Bevans as its new creative director. In his new role, Bevans will bring his experience in sportswear and textiles to influence the overall line of products that balance technical innovation and current trends, the brand said in a statement. Bevans, a member of the CFDA, has been recognized for his work with Dyne by earning the 2017 Woolmark Innovation Prize and being named a 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist. He also serves as senior creative lead at Shopify where he works closely with emerging fashion industry entrepreneurs. Bevans began his career in New York City, apprenticing at a local tailoring house of which he became the owner at the age of 19. His roots as an expert tailor developed into a passion that carried him to positions with top brands such as Billionaire Boys Club, Head, Sean John, Yeezy, Smithsonian, New York Cosmos and the MacArthur Foundation. From 2003 to 2007, he was design director of Nike’s Blue Ribbon Sports Division, and was instrumental in initiating Roger Federer’s now-famous “RF” logo. In 2013, he was named a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab Director’s Fellow.
Eddie Bauer
May 3, 2022: The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has promoted 11-year industry veteran Corinne Suder to lead its events and programming department as VP, effective June 13. Suder brings along 25 years of association meeting planning experience to the role as she advances from senior director at AAFA. She will preside over a portfolio of several dozen annual events and webinars. The department will continue to accelerate priorities and engage members through collaborative meetings, webinars, and a hybrid calendar of virtual and in-person content, the AAFA said in a statement. Suder takes over from Susan Lapetina, who departed the organization after 23 years of service. Her last day as SVP with the association will be June 10. “We are deeply indebted to Susan’s vision and commitment in establishing the association’s world-renowned education programming and special events portfolios. Her outsized contributions are cherished,” said AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar. “Corinne will carry on this legacy with an equally insatiable appetite to serve members, and vision to lead AAFA programming forward, and an enthusiasm that is unmatched.”
Courtesy of AAFA
May 3, 2022: Carhartt has named Kerry Middlemas as VP of business planning. Middlemas joined Carhartt on April 11 and reports directly to Linda Hubbard, Carhartt’s president and chief operating officer. Middlemas is responsible for delivering demand plans and inventory strategies across the global merchandise assortment and business unit segments. She will lead three departments: demand planning (indirect & direct), merchandise & inventory planning, and planning operations. Middlemas will work closely with key cross-functional business partners to define and execute short-and long-term operational and strategic goals. Most recently, Middlemas served as VP of forecasting and planning at Tupperware Brands. Prior to that, she spent 17 years in leadership roles at VF Corporation, working with The North Face and Nautica, among others.
Carhartt
May 2, 2022: Off-White has its new artistic leader. Dazed editor-in-chief Ibrahim Kamara is joining the label founded by the late Virgil Abloh as its new art & image director. According to Off-White, Kamara will oversee the artistic direction of the brand and will further develop his influence and insight on the brand’s collections, image, and content. “Having Ibrahim on board, who has been part of the Off-White family for years styling our shows, to oversee art and creative of the brand in this next chapter is a great honor,” Andrea Grilli, Off-White CEO said in a statement. “With his talent and vision, we look forward to taking on the next chapter of Off-White together, always remembering the groundbreaking creativity and values that Virgil had at heart and that are the core of our brand.” Before taking the top job at Dazed, Kamara produced editorials for the likes of i-D, System, Vogue Italia and Another magazine. Last year, Kamara was honored with the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Awards.
Courtesy of Off-White
May 2, 2022: PF Flyers has tapped Lisa Lewis as its new chief marketing officer. Lewis will be responsible for relaunching the brand and establishing its position in the sneaker and lifestyle marketplace. Prior to her most recent role as the chief marketing officer at Piaggio Fast Forward, Lewis spent seven years at Sonos Inc. where she was eventually appointed as the global head of product collaborations. Her resume also includes acting as brand manager at Converse for the Chuck Taylor brand; serving as head of lifestyle and music marketing at Puma; and holding the role of VP of marketing for Keds, where she was part of an all-women leadership team. Acquired by Kassia Davis in 2021, PF Flyers was previously owned and manufactured by New Balance. Founded in 1937 by B.F. Goodrich, PF Flyers has been declared one of the original American sneaker brands.
Courtesy of PF Flyers
May 2, 2022: Dickies has appointed Sarah Crockett as the company’s new global chief marketing officer. She will report to Dickies’ global brand president, Denny Bruce, and serve on the Dickies executive leadership team. Crockett joins from Backcountry where she served as chief marketing officer overseeing marketing efforts for the outdoor retail company’s North American portfolio of brands. Prior to Backcountry, Crockett served as chief marketing officer for Burton Snowboards. Crockett has also held senior marketing roles at REI and Vans, a brand also owned by VF Corp. “As we continue to focus on global growth, I know Sarah’s expertise will help accelerate our business through a digital-first mindset as we look to deepen our relationships with consumer communities globally,” Bruce said in a statement. Crockett joins at an exciting time for Dickies, with the brand celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The brand is reaffirming its commitment to its workwear roots, marking its adoption into the lifestyle market, and looking to shape the future of the next 100 years.
Courtesy of Dickies
April 27, 2022: Walmart has tapped Kourtney Barrett as its director of workplace mobility, a newly created role that will focus on supporting employees, visitors and the community in the workplace. According to her LinkedIn profile, Barrett previously co-founded Women of OZ NWA, a women’s mountain biking organization. In a LinkedIn post announcing her new role, Barrett said she is “excited to serve my community in this new and transformative role.”
April 27, 2022: Tapestry, Inc. has hired David L. Casey as its new chief inclusion and social impact officer, effective May 16. According to Tapestry, this newly created position will help the company build an inclusive culture and “create a company that truly reflects the diversity of its customers, its employees, and the communities it serves.” In his role, Casey will have responsibility for continuing to shape and deliver Tapestry’s Equity, Inclusion and Diversity strategy and will oversee Tapestry’s social impact efforts through advocacy, philanthropy, and volunteerism. He will report jointly to Joanne Crevoiserat, Tapestry’s CEO, and Sarah Dunn, the company’s global human resources officer. Casey joins Tapestry from CVS Health, where most recently served as SVP of workforce strategies and chief diversity officer. He also served as the president of the CVS Health Employee Relief Fund, a public charity. Previously, Casey served as the VP of workplace culture and chief diversity officer at Anthem.
Courtesy of Tapestry
April 26, 2022: Darn Tough Vermont, the performance outdoor and lifestyle sock maker, has promoted Angelica Taylor to chief operating officer. Taylor previously served as the company’s VP of finance. In her new role, Taylor will oversee and implement strategies across finance, IT, and business operations for the sock company. “Being able to lead and work alongside such a passionate team right here in Vermont has made my entire experience with Darn Tough feel like home,” Taylor said.
Darn Tough Vermont
April 25, 2022: Ortholite has tapped Kristin Kohler Burrows as chief brand officer. In the newly created role for OrthoLite and Cirql — the brand’s first EVA plastics-free, recyclable, biodegradable and industrially compostable foam — Burrows will lead the company’s corporate brand identity strategy. She joins OrthoLite from footwear brands including Converse, Keds, Adidas, Fila and G.H. Bass, and most recently as a management consultant in the Consumer and Retail Group at Alvarez & Marsal.
April 25, 2022: Brunt Workwear has named Kevin Eskridge as the company’s president. In this role, Eskridge will oversee the company’s product development, merchandising, sourcing, and global retail expansion as Brunt accelerates its rapid growth in the modern workwear category. Bringing more than 20 years of industry experience, Eskridge most recently served as the chief product officer at Under Armour where he spent more than a decade driving the company’s product innovation, channel strategy, and international growth. Eskridge began his career at Gap Inc., and also was a VP at Armani Exchange.
April 21, 2022: Sportswear industry veteran Romano Cinelli has joined The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) as VP and GM of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) territories. Previously, the executive was VP and GM of Converse EMEA, after spending nearly a decade at Nike, where he was GM of Southern Europe Sportswear. At TAF, Cinelli will oversee all daily business matters, including marketing, merchandising, retail operations and brand partner management. Additionally, he will develop and implement strategies to grow TAF’s store portfolio and e-commerce business, and identify opportunities in emerging markets.
Courtesy of The Athlete’s Foot
April 20, 2022: Zappos.com has named its first chief marketing officer in the company’s 23-year history. Ginny McCormick joined the e-commerce giant this week and brings extensive marketing experience in the toy industry. According to her LinkedIn profile, she most recently was marketing director of Worldwide Access Point at Amazon, but previously held leadership positions at Hasbro and Mattel. In her new role, Zappos said McCormick is tasked with “helping us deliver WOW to customers through developing fun and engaging storytelling experiences, and by creating energy in our teams by igniting a culture of passion, collaboration and experimentation.”
Courtesy of Zappos
April 19, 2022: Centric Brands has tapped Marc Compagnon as its new president of Centric Brands Asia. Compagnon will be based in Hong Kong and will report directly to the CEO of Centric Brands, Jason Rabin. According to Centric Brands, Compagnon will oversee its sourcing transformation, driving opportunities to infuse digital elements into the organization’s sourcing strategy with a focus on quality, speed and efficiency. Compagnon joins Centric Brands with extensive sourcing experience having spent more than 20 years at Li & Fung in various executive and advisory roles. Prior to Li & Fung, he was a partner and chief merchandising officer of Colby International Limited. Compagnon’s addition highlights the strength of Centric’s executive leadership team which recently added long-time industry executive Tami Fersko as chief operations & supply chain officer.
April 13, 2022: Karen Katz, former president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Group (NMG), has been elected to the board of Intermix, bringing the total to six board members. As CEO of NMG, Katz led the company through its digital transformation. Among her accomplishments were leveraging Neiman Marcus’ brick-and-mortar presence to launch its omnichannel strategy, integrating customers’ online and in-store experiences through technology and personalization. After eight years as CEO and 33 years with the company in various posts, she retired in 2018. Katz serves on three company boards: Under Armour, The RealReal and Humana Healthcare. She also spends time as a board member on privately held consumer company boards and is an advisor to several startups in the technology, service and product spaces. She is also the chairman of the board of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.
Courtesy of Intermix
April 12, 2022: Walmart Inc. has tapped John Rainey as its new EVP and CFO. Rainey will assume the responsibilities on June 6. Rainey joins Walmart from PayPal where he currently serves as the company’s CFO and EVP of global customer operations. Prior to PayPal, Rainey was EVP and CFO at United Airlines, and spent a combined 18 years between United and Continental Airlines. He began his professional career at Ernst & Young LLP.This news comes after the company previously announced that Brett Biggs, who currently serves as CFO, would be leaving to begin a new chapter of opportunities in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Biggs will support the transition to Rainey over the coming months, remaining in the CFO role until June 6, and then serve as an advisor until he leaves the company on Jan. 31, 2023. As part of the transition, he will also continue representing the company as a board member on Walmart’s FinTech startup joint venture with Ribbit Capital.
Courtesy of Walmart
April 12, 2022: Informa Markets Fashion has hired retail veteran Brian Nyilas as guest merchandiser for its suite of Project events, a new role for the trade show organizer. According to Informa, Nyilas will help strengthen Project’s approach to merchandising, bringing a new perspective that will better facilitate discovery opportunities for brands. N
yilas brings a combined 22 years’ worth of experience in traditional and experiential merchandising, having spent 11 years at Los Angeles retailer Fred Segal, with positions of senior men’s buyer, e-commerce director, and VP of merchandising and business development. Nyilas left the retailer in November to pursue a men’s buying and merchandising consultant role for Revolve and FRWD. Prior to Fred Segal, Nyilas was the director of wholesale at WP Lavori in Corso and sales director at BPMW Agency and Capsule tradeshow.
Courtesy of Informa Markets Fashion
April 8, 2022: Brooks has named the two-time US Olympian Des Linden as its new chief running advisor. In this role, Linden will help the running brand conceive and create new products and technology and will engage runners as a brand ambassador.
April 7, 2022: Carhartt has promoted Katrina Agusti to chief information officer. Agusti officially assumed the position on March 28, following the departure of John Hill who previously held the role. She will report to directly to Linda Hubbard, Carhartt’s president and chief operating officer. Agusti will be responsible for providing guidance and strategic vision for information technology and digital efforts, Carhartt said in a statement. Agusti joined Carhartt in 2003 and has held various position of increasing responsibility most recently serving as VP of solutions delivery for the company. In this position, she oversaw the development of the information technology (IT) roadmap to enable Carhartt’s corporate strategies. “We have experienced significant growth the last few years at Carhartt, and our IT infrastructure and digital transformation is an increasingly important part of our consumer experience,” said Hubbard. “Katrina has been an integral part of the Carhartt team for nearly 20 years and I am confident that she will bring valuable leadership and technical expertise, to this role.”
Carhartt
April 6, 2022: Marquee Brands is expanding its senior leadership team. The brand management company, which owns such brands as Bruno Magli and Ben Sherman, has appointed Heath Golden as chief commercial and strategy officer. Golden will oversee the fashion lifestyle, motherhood, and Marquee Brands Connect divisions, a newly created position devised to optimize and accelerate business growth opportunities. Golden joins Marquee Brands from Randa Apparel & Accessories (RAA), where he served as EVP and Chief Financial & Strategy Officer. During his tenure at Randa, Golden drove business growth through several successful initiatives. He also held roles as EVP and chief strategy officer of RAA and president of Randa Digital Labs at the company. Before Randa, Golden held executive positions at intimates company Bendon Group, Hampshire Group. He also created Scott James, a contemporary menswear brand carried by Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and two retail stores. Early in his career, Golden was a corporate securities lawyer at leading law firms, including Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Mintz Levin.
Courtesy of Marquee Brands
April 5, 2022: Skechers USA has added Yolanda Macias to its board of directors. The appointment brings the total number of directors to eight, including five independent members, three of whom are women appointed over the last three years. Macias has been at Cinedigm Entertainment Group since 2013, currently serving as the chief content officer where she oversees global content acquisitions, in addition to digital and physical sales and marketing. Prior to Cinedigm, Macias held various positions at Gaiam Inc., Vivendi Entertainment, which was a division of Universal Music Group, DirecTV, Inc., Technicolor and The Walt Disney Company. Macias is also currently serves on the board of directors and the executive committee of C5LA, a non-profit organization that helps under-resourced youth to enroll and to succeed in college. She also serves on the advisory board for The Digital Entertainment Group’s Canon Club, which is dedicated to supporting women in entertainment and technology.
DAWN BOWERY
April 4, 2022: Saks has tapped Cara Chacon as its first SVP of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Chacon previously served for ten years as the VP of social and environmental responsibility at Patagonia, Inc. until February 2021. “Bolstering our ESG efforts will enable us to make an even more positive impact on our industry and communities,” said Saks CEO Marc Metrick. “We are committed to developing a cohesive, thoughtful approach to strengthening our environmental, social and governance efforts across all functions of our business.”
April 4, 2022: Nester Hosiery, the North Carolina-based sock manufacturer and parent company of Farm to Feet, announced today that it has promoted Donna Anderson to VP of finance. Anderson has held the controller position at Nester Hosiery since joining the company in 2016, and prior to Nester Hosiery, she spent more than 25 years at sock producer Renfro Corporation.
March 30, 2022: Macy’s, Inc. has named Marie Chandoha, former president and CEO of Charles Schwab Investment Management, and Jill Granoff, managing partner of Eurazeo and CEO of Eurazeo’s Brands division, to its board of directors, effective April 1. Chandoha brings more than 35 years in financial services and investment management spaces. Most recently, she led Charles Schwab Investment Management’s product and digital transformation, building a high-performing organization and doubling the firm’s assets under management. Earlier in her distinguished career, Chandoha served in executive roles at major global financial institutions including BlackRock, Barclays, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. Granoff brings 30 years of deep leadership experience building and growing consumer-driven companies with expertise as a strategist and brand builder in the retail, beauty, and fashion industries. In her roles at Eurazeo, she is responsible for leading investment activities and overseeing the performance of the firm’s Brands portfolio globally. Granoff has also served in executive roles across retail at leading companies including Vince, Kenneth Cole, Liz Claiborne, Victoria’s Secret and Estée Lauder. With the addition of Chandoha and Granoff, the Macy’s, Inc. board will comprise 14 members.
March 29, 2022: Footwear components company OrthoLite continues to build its operations in Europe. Today the company announced Marisa Costa has been appointed as sales manager for Portugal. She most recently was an account manager and product developer at Selco Footwear in Porto. “Marisa resides in proximity to Porto, where much of the footwear production is done in Portugal, and she has excellent relationships with the top footwear brands and factory groups throughout the region,” CB Tuite, OrthoLite’s chief sales officer, said in a statement. “Her position will help strengthen our brand partnerships and grow our business within this region, specifically our OrthoLite facility in Spain.” The company recently expanded its insole factory in Albacete, Spain, to better serve the production needs of its European partners.
March 28, 2022: Vans has named Ian Ginoza to the role of VP, Advisor Creative Director Pinnacle, effective April 4. The industry vet will be tasked with growing collaboration and partnership opportunities with innovators and designers, according to Vans, as well as contribute to the creation of brand experiences with creative communities on a global scale. Prior to Vans, Ginoza co-founded boutiques Saint Alfred and Kicks/Hi in Chicago and Honolulu, respectively, where he also served as creative director for both stores.
Courtesy of Vans
March 28, 2022: Burberry tapped Geoffrey Williams as its VP and global head of diversity and inclusion. He previously served in diversity and inclusion roles at Thomson Reuters and Dr. Martens.
March 28, 2022: Express has tapped Jason Judd as the company’s SVP and CFO, effective April 4. Judd will report directly to CEO Tim Baxter. Judd joins Express from Big Lots where he served as SVP, corporate finance and treasurer since October 2019 with responsibility for FP&A, treasury, risk management, and investor relations. Previously, he was CFO of Justice at Ascena Retail Group and held leadership roles at L Brands. “I am pleased to welcome Jason to Express, Inc. He is a seasoned, well rounded and accomplished financial executive with a proven track record of delivering results,” said Baxter in a statement. “His experience across industries and companies, combined with his passion for retail makes him a terrific complement to our extraordinary leadership team, and I look forward to his contributions to our Expressway Forward strategy.”
March 24, 2022: Crocs has announced multiple executive appointments as the company looks to integrate and grow its new Hey Dude business. Shannon Sisler has been promoted to EVP and chief people officer. Sisler has been with the company since 2017 and in her new role will support both the Crocs and Hey Dude workforces globally. Dan Marques has been promoted to SVP of global digital commerce. In addition to leading the digital commercial team for Crocs, Marques will now expand his responsibilities to include Hey Dude. And Frank Smigelski has been promoted to SVP of distribution and logistics. Smigelski joined Crocs last year and has helped the firm navigate its supply chain amid unprecedented volatility. He will now apply his expertise to the Hey Dude operations as well.
March 21, 2022: Capri Holdings has named Emmanuel Gintzburger as the new CEO of Versace, effective Sept. 12. Gintzburger will repor
t to John D. Idol, chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings. Gintzburger joins Versace from Alexander McQueen, where he served as CEO since May 2016. Prior to joining Alexander McQueen, Gintzburger was worldwide retail and wholesale director for Saint Laurent from 2011 to 2016, having joined the Parisian fashion house in 2009 as the Europe retail director. From 2007 to 2009, he served as international retail director at Lanvin, and prior to that he held regional retail and marketing leadership roles at Sephora. Gintzburger also spent six years at Louis Vuitton in Hong Kong.
March 21, 2022: Alexander McQueen has a new CEO, Gianfilippo Testa. He’ll succeed Emmanuel Gintzburger who is leaving the group to become CEO of Versace. Kering said Monday that Testa will take up his role in May, and report to François-Henri Pinault. Testa is an Italian national who began his career at Tag Heuer in 2002, and went on to hold a range of roles at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, specifically at Fendi in Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. He joined Kering in 2016 as Gucci president Greater China and since 2019, he has been president of EMEA and vice president global retail at Gucci. Kering said Testa’s mission at McQueen will be to “accelerate the expansion of the British luxury house to tap its full potential.”
March 21, 2022: Foot Locker has tapped Samantha Lomow as president of global brands, a new role for the retailer. Lomow joins the New York-based athletic retailer from Hasbro, where she most recently served as president of branded entertainment. She brings over 25 years of experience across consumer products, entertainment, and licensing, Foot Locker said in an announcement on Monday. Lomow will report directly to Frank Bracken, EVP and COO, and will oversee Foot Locker’s global brand portfolio and operating divisions across North America, EMEA, and APAC. The retailer said Lomow will work closely as part of the executive team to advance Foot Locker’s long-term strategies to position the company for continued innovation, growth, and profitability.
Courtesy of Foot Locker
March 21, 2022: Merrell has tapped an industry vet to fill its chief merchant officer role. The company announced today that it has hired Sumi Scott as its chief merchant officer, a 20-year veteran in the outdoor and lifestyle markets with stints at The North Face and Canada Goose. Scott will report directly to Chris Hufnagel, Merrell global brand president. In the role, Scott will be tasked with leading its the evolution of its global growth strategies and establishing its roadmap to future category growth. Also, Merrell said Scott will be responsible for overseeing the transformation of Merrell’s apparel and accessories business and leading merchandising for its direct-to-consumer operations. Prior to Merrell, Scott held product and merchandising leadership positions with major players in the outdoor and lifestyle spaces, including spending 14-plus years at The North Face in several roles and nearly two years at Canada Goose as its VP of merchandising.
Courtesy of Merrell
March 17, 2022: In a surprise move, Kevin Bailey has returned to the helm of Vans as global brand president. The executive, who has held a series of leadership roles at Vans parent VF Corp. in recent years, was president of the brand from 2009 to 2016. He most recently served as VF’s President, Asia-Pacific Region and Emerging Brands. “Kevin brings a deep level of knowledge and understanding of the Vans brand, its consumer, and the global business to this role,” said VF chairman and CEO Steve Rendle, to whom he will continue to report.“He will work closely with the leadership team and our enterprise functions as we focus on re-energizing the brand’s global growth.” Rendle takes the reins from Doug Palladini, who is exiting the company.
Courtesy of VF Corp.
March 17, 2022: Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) has appointed Katie Anderson to EVP and CFO, beginning April 4. In this role, she will join the group leadership team and report to Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus Group. Anderson joins the company with a strong tenure of leading financial strategy and reporting at notable private and public companies. She formerly served as CFO at Guess?, Inc. Prior to this, Anderson served as CFO of Californ
ia Pizza Kitchen and Sprinkles. Anderson started her career in investment banking at Citigroup, Inc. and then Moelis & Company. NMG said that Anderson will drive all financial functions for the company as well as risk management, real estate, supply chain, and track progress towards the luxury retailer’s growth execution and strategy. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company as it continues to invest in digital first, stores, data, technology, and supply chain. NMG’s interim CFO Mark Weinsten will transition from his role with the company following Anderson’s appointment.
Courtesy of Neiman Marcus Group
March 17, 2022: Canada Goose has appointed Belinda Wong to its board of directors. Wong currently serves as chairman of Starbucks China and EVP of Starbucks. She has over 20 years of deep field knowledge and leadership in China and the Asia Pacific region. In her current role at Starbucks, she is focused on delivering the brand’s growth in one of its largest and fastest growing international markets.Prior to becoming chairman of Starbucks China, Belinda had a 10-year tenure as CEO of Starbucks China.
March 16, 2022: Tailored Brands has announced that board members Bob Hull and Peter Sachse will continue as co-CEOs moving forward to provide continuity to the organization as it continues to progress its strategic plan. Hull and Sachse were both appointed as interim co-CEOs and joined the company’s board on March 16, 2021. Since that time, they have solidified a strong and united leadership team, refocused key departments and led the company to outperform its revenue and profit targets for each quarter. In conjunction with this decision, John Tighe will be promoted to president of Tailored Brands. In this new role, Tighe will continue to have end-to-end accountability for merchandising, marketing, e-commerce, rental, planning and allocation across the Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank and Moores banners and will now oversee product development, design, global sourcing as well as the Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corporation.
March 16, 2022: Guess? has announced that Dennis Secor has been appointed interim CFO for the brand, effective April 1. Secor, a seasoned financial executive with significant experience in the apparel industry, previously served as Guess? CFO from 2006 to 2012 and succeeds Katie Anderson, who is stepping down to pursue another opportunity at a privately-held company as CFO. Under the terms of the company’s agreement with Mr. Secor, he will remain at Guess? through March 2023 to support the company while the search for a permanent CFO is conducted and to help provide an orderly transition. The company plans to initiate a comprehensive search for a permanent CFO, with the assistance of an executive search firm.
March 15, 2022: K-Swiss has hired Anna Amador as its new VP of marketing and Kristina Barclay as its new director of e-commerce. Amador brings a wealth of marketing experience to K-Swiss with multiple years at brands such as Skechers, Adidas and Nike. Coupled with five years at Skechers as director of product marketing, she then quickly progressed to VP of Skechers performance. Barclay will be responsible for overseeing and managing the K-Swiss and Palladium brand sites. Her love of fashion and extensive retail background led her to AG Adriano Goldschmied and then most recently to her role as e-commerce operations director at Paige. “I am so excited to join a heritage brand with a strong vision and plan for continued success,” said Barclay. “I feel privileged to be part of this talented team and lead our e-commerce business for both K-Swiss and Palladium here in the U.S.”
K-Swiss Global Brands
March 15, 2022: Peter Simons is taking a step back from his duties as president and CEO of Canadian department store La Maison Simons. As he looks to evolve the structure of this fifth-generation family business, Simons has appointed Bernard Leblanc as the new president and CEO. Mr. Simons will become the chief merchant and continue to sit on the family council and advisory board. “We have always made decisions that put the best interests of the company first and today’s announcement perfectly aligns with that philosophy,” said Mr. Simons in a statement. “Bernard wonderfully embodies the values of service that we are known for. Thanks to our employees’ commitment and the loyalty of our customers, Simons possesses all the attributes and talent necessary to continue its development and carry out its strategic vision.” Leblanc most recently held the title of EVP and head of corporate operations at the retailer, which has 15 stores across Canada.
La Maison Simons
March 14, 2022: Terry Boyle has been named the president and CEO of Zulily, where he will report to Qurate Retail Inc. president and CEO David Rawlinson and work on executing strategies for achieving business goals. Boyle previously worked at Nordstrom, where he served as president of Nordstromrack.com and as president of Trunk Club, a full-priced personal styling service offered by Nordstrom. He also founded, Behold, a women’s fashion start-up.
March 14, 2022: Genesco Inc. announced multiple executive promotions in its Licensed Brands division. Liz Hall has been named VP and GM of Dockers and G.H. Bass & Co. and is responsible for strategy, brand development, sales and profitability for its wholesale operations. Hall joined Genesco in 2015 after prior roles with Emu Australia, Jones Apparel, Federated and Bon-Ton. Meanwhile, Merrick Smith is now VP of operations for the Licensed Brands after previously serving as VP of merchandising for the group. In his new role, he will continue to oversee merchandising and customer care and now assumes responsibility for warehousing and distribution, including the Licensed Brands facility in Chapel Hill, Tenn. Also, Elif Dunlay has been promoted to VP and creative director of Levi’s Footwear. She also will direct commercialization of the G.H. Bass and Phat Farm brands for off-price distribution channels and be involved in the launch of the Starter and Etonic brands in full-price wholesale channels.
March 14, 2022: Chris Melton is returning to Inov-8, a company he worked for from 2011-2014, as its new global category manager for cross training. Melton, according to Inov-8, will be tasked with leading the distribution of sports footwear and apparel for Central and South America. Before his return, Melton most recently was the head of North America for Runderwear, and prior to that had a stint at sailing and fishing apparel company Gill Marine. Also, from 2015 to 2019, he worked for Vibram and managed its FiveFingers and Furoshiki business in North and South America, as well as distribution in Australia and Japan.
March 14, 2022: Creative Artists Agency has tapped Hilary Krane as its chief legal officer. Krane previously served as VP and general counsel at Nike since 2010, where she guided corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, brand protection and government affairs. Krane also served as a co-chair of the Nike Foundation. Before Nike, she worked at Levi Strauss and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
March 14, 2022: Macy’s has hired Emily Erusha-Hilleque as SVP for its private brands. In this role, Erusha-Hilleque will lead the nameplate’s private brands design organization, including apparel, center core and home design teams as well as drive the private brands strategy in partnership with Macy’s merchandising and sourcing teams. She will report to Nata Dvir, chief merchandising officer of Macy’s. Erusha-Hilleque joins Macy’s from Target Corporation, where she most recently served as the design director of ready-to-wear, young contemporary private label, design partnerships. In that role she was responsible for building, launching, and growing the Wild Fable private label as well as designer collaborations including Levi’s, Christopher John Rodgers, Alexis, Rixo, Nili Lotan, Sandy Liang, Victor Glemaud, Rachel Comey, Christian Robinson and Lego.
March 11, 2022: Colin Browne, chief operating officer at Under Armour, is passing his duties as chair of the board of directors at the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) to newly-appointed chair Sarah Clarke, the chief supply chain officer at PVH Corp. The appointment was made this week at the AAFA’s Executive Summit in Washington, DC, where Clarke appeared virtually via Zoom to accept the position. Along with Clarke’s appointment, the AAFA added eight new board members and re-elected 12 existing members. The new members include Sally Gilligan of Gap Inc.; Rick Horwitch of Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services; David Katz of Randa Apparel & Accessories; Tom Lorang of Target Corporation; Allison Murphy of TTI Global Resources; Melissa Nelson of SanMar; Liz O’Neill of Levi Strauss & Co.; and Lisa Williams of Patagonia, Inc.
Courtesy of AAFA
March 9, 2022: Columbia Sportswear Co. has announced the appointment of Pri Shumate as the chief marketing officer for the Columbia brand, effective March 14. The company said Shumate will report to Columbia EVP and president Joe Boyle. “Pri is a consumer-obsessed marketing leader with global experience in demand creation,” Boyle said in a statement. “I feel certain that her background and dynamism will help drive continued growth for the company.”
Courtesy of Columbia Sportswear Co.
March 7, 2022: Footwear industry veteran John Pierce has joined Lâmo as the company’s VP of sales. In this new role, he will manage all sales operations and lead the sales team for the growing brand, which recorded record results in 2021. Pierce has over 30 years of experience in the shoe business. He most recently was a sales executive at Eastman Footwear Group and prior to that served as president of Bearpaw for several years. “We are very pleased to welcome JP to the Lâmo team,” said COO Jerry Breig in a statement. “His determination and past successes position him to drive Lâmo’s continued growth to new heights.”
Courtesy of Lamo
March 4, 2022: Theory has named Jeffrey Kalinksy as chief merchant and creative officer, and Rachel DeLaurentis as chief marketing and digital officer, according to FN sister publication WWD. Both appointments, which are effective immediately, were made to amplify the company’s digital growth and product strategies. In his newly created role, Kalinsky will oversee Theory’s merchandising and product design functions. A well-known entrepreneur and merchandiser with more than 30 years experience in the fashion industry, Kalinsky is best known as the founder of luxury specialty stores Jeffrey New York, Jeffrey Atlanta, and Jeffrey Palo Alto. Since November, Kalinsky has been a creative consultant to Theory. DeLaurentis’ role at Theory will be to amplify the brand’s digital-first marketing capability and scale execution for impact. She most recently worked at Fleur du Mal as chief marketing officer, overseeing the brand’s growth. Before that, she was CEO and chief brand officer for Awe Inspired, a luxury fine jewelry company.
FN
March 3, 2022: PrimaLoft has named Manish Jain as its new SVP of technology and development. Most recently, Jain served as VP of R&D and technology for Crane Company Currency Division, leading the company’s technology innovation for substrates (currency and security paper) as well as security threads, fibers, and micro-optics security technology. Previously, Jain was the head of material science and process technologies for the Albany International Corp., Homer, NY extrusion facility, where he was responsible for raw material needs, leading R&D, quality, and the new product development group. Jain is replacing Vanessa Mason, who is retiring this year from her position as SVP of engineering. According to PrimaLoft, Mason will work with Jain in the coming months to ensure a seamless transition. Following her retirement, PrimaLoft plans to work with Mason as a consultant on specific projects.
March 2, 2022: Qurate Retail Group, which owns QVC and HSN, is shaking up its management team. Mike Fitzharris has been named president of QVC U.S.; Rob Muller has been named president of HSN; and Mary Campbell has been named president of Accelerating Streaming Innovation – a new business unit created to accelerate Qurate Retail Group’s efforts in streaming and other live video commerce initiatives. The new structure is designed to strengthen brand differentiation between QVC and HSN by giving each brand team direct control over its own merchandising, planning and programming, brand marketing, broadcast, and e-commerce organizations. The structure will establish clearer lines of accountability and accelerate decision making while maintaining the cost efficiencies gained through the prior integration of the businesses. Qurate Retail Group has also launched a search for a chief operating officer, who will report directly to Qurate Retail president and CEO David L. Rawlinson II. This new role will lead U.S. fulfillment center operations, supply chain, customer support, global business services, procurement, and corporate real estate and workplace services.
Courtesy of Qurate Retail Group
March 1, 2022: Executive changes continue at Zappos.com, as the e-tailer seeks to shape its future under new leadership. According to a letter sent by the company to its brand partners on Feb. 28 and obtained by FN, longtime Zappos merchants Jeff Espersen and Mike Normart are no longer with the company, effective immediately. The letter further states that Kathy Forstadt will step in as interim merchandising leader as an external search is conducted for a chief merchandising officer. In an official statement sent to FN, the company said, “Zappos is committed to delivering exceptional customer service, experience and innovation in everything we do. To further that mission, we recently made several changes to our leadership team that will further elevate the le
vels of service, selection and experience we provide to customers and brand partners.”
Feb. 28, 2022: Hugo Boss has announced leadership changes to its creative team. The company, which recently launched new campaigns focused on its Boss and Hugo brand identities, has announced that chief brand officer Ingo Wilts has stepped down from his role. Marco Falcioni, who serves as SVP of creative direction, will manage creative direction for both brands starting March 1. Falcioni, who joined Hugo Boss in 2015, will report to CEO Daniel Grieder. Andrea Cannelloni, who previously served in other creative roles in the company and as the president of Napapijri at VF Corp. until 2020, will rejoin Hugo Boss starting March 1 in a new role as creative advisor.
Hugo Boss
Feb. 28, 2022: Crocs has announced new leadership appointments for its recently acquired Hey Dude brand. Pete Gilmore has been appointed as the brand’s SVP of supply chain, where he will lead sourcing, planning, business operations and customer engagement. He most recently served as COO of CCM Hockey and also spent 13 years at Under Armour. Katie Wagner, who most recently served as Crocs’ VP of regional sales, has been named VP of sales for Hey Dude.
Feb. 24, 2022: Seth Levey has joined ThredUp as its first-ever head of public policy and sustainability. In this role, Levey will lead government affairs and policy initiatives that encourage widespread adoption of circular business models with an emphasis on apparel reuse. He will also oversee the resale platform’s broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts. Levey will report to Alon Rotem, chief legal officer of ThredUp. Prior to joining ThredUp, Levey served as director of government relations and public affairs at Equinor, where he was responsible for the company’s U.S. climate, sustainability, environmental, and innovation policy development and advocacy. Prior to that, he held roles at the Edison Electric Institute, where he represented investor-owned electric companies before policymakers, and at Exxon Mobil Corporation, in corporate public and government affairs. He previously advised U.S. state governors on energy, economic development, and international affairs issues.
thredUP
Feb. 18, 2022: Global retail consulting agency Winston Retail has made two new executive hires this week. The agency – which touts Wolverine, Birkenstock, Walmart, and Foot Locker as some of its clients – has named Christina Gabriel as chief operating officer and Michael Donohue as VP of retail. According to Winston, both positions are newly created senior roles within their respective corporate teams, and both were hired to accommodate the agency’s growth and drive even more potential expansion. Gabriel will be leading the agency’s operations team comprised of 50 corporate employees and 2800+ field visual merchandiser, while Donohue will be supporting the ongoing expansion of Winston’s new client roster and ongoing client base in the years ahead. Winston said its new corporate structure will allow the company to support larger projects, more diverse client initiatives and double down on its pop-up experiential division, which has been in great demand in the market. Gabriel has previously worked across luxury and mid-tier retailers, both in free-standing stores and with wholesale partners in the U.S and globally including Banana Republic, JCrew, Kiehl’s, and Bulgari. Donohue has spent 13 years at Kohl’s with his last role being SVP of merchandise & visual presentation for the U.S. and Canada.
Courtesy of Winston Retail
Feb. 11, 2022: Urban Outfitters has tapped Francis Pierrel as president with responsibility for the brand in North America. Pierrel will report directly to Sheila Harrington, global chief executive officer of Urban Outfitters and the Free People Group. Pierrel brings a background in omnichannel retailing and wholesale and has a reputation for cultivating strong collaborative teams, understanding the customer and growing brand equity. Most recently he served as CEO of Club Monaco, where he drove increases in revenues and profitability. Prior to Club Monaco, he served as president of stores and e-commerce for Ralph Lauren in North America. Pie
rrel has also held senior roles in wholesale, retail and e-commerce at Lacoste and Diesel across the US and Europe. “I am pleased to welcome Francis to our company and the Urban Outfitters brand,” said Richard A. Hayne, CEO of URBN. “He is a seasoned omnichannel retail executive with deep experience in managing iconic brands across all channels – e-commerce, stores, and wholesale. We believe his strong leadership will greatly benefit the Urban Outfitters brand.”
Feb. 10, 2022: Adidas AG’s supervisory board has extended the appointed of two members. Roland Auschel, who oversees global sales, has been given an extension on the board until 2024. Brian Grevy, who oversees global brands, has had his position extended until 2028. “On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I am very pleased to announce that we have extended the appointments of both Roland and Brian. Our long-term strategy ‘Own the Game’ has the consumer at its heart,” said chairman of the board Thomas Rabe. “Both Roland and Brian play key roles in bringing this consumer focus to life with their respective functions.”
Feb. 9, 2022: British footwear brand Clarks has tapped Simon Clarke as its new chief information officer. Clarke previously served as CIO at Italian luxury lifestyle company La Perla, where he led the business’ digital transformation, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before La Perla, he served as the group supply chain director at Oxford University Press.
Feb. 9, 2022: PVH Corp. has named Zac Coughlin as EVP and CFO, effective April 4. In this role, he will report to Stefan Larsson, PVH CEO, and will have responsibility for all finance functions. Coughlin joins PVH from DFS Group Limited, a subsidiary of LVMH Group, where he served as Group CFO and chief operating officer. Prior to joining DFS, Coughlin was CFO at Converse, Inc., a division of Nike, Inc., supporting its global business spanning wholesale, retail, and e-commerce. Coughlin started his career with Ford Motor Company where he held multiple global financial leadership roles. While there, he worked on the ground in a number of international markets in Asia and Europe. According to PVH, Jim Holmes, the company’s current Interim CFO, will continue in his role as EVP and controller when Coughlin joins the company.
Courtesy of PVH
Feb. 2, 2022: Authentic Brands Group (ABG) has tapped Matthew Goldstein as its SVP of entertainment and special projects. In the newly created role, Goldstein will oversee ABG’s branded experiences via its Authentic Live arm as well as events and content production via its Authentic Productions arm. Overall, Goldstein will work on establishing partnerships within ABG’s entertainment division, working closely on endorsements, media, content and sports betting. “Matthew is a seasoned industry leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and strategic mindset to ABG,” said Marc Rosen, ABG’s president of entertainment. “His proven track record in creating high-profile, brand-building partnerships with some of the industry’s biggest artists is a valuable attribute that we believe will help drive new growth for ABG’s entertainment brands and business verticals.”
Zack Lane/MSG Photos
Feb. 1, 2022: Wish has appointed Vijay Talwar as its new CEO and member of its board of directors, effective Feb. 1. The executive joins the e-commerce platform after serving in various retail and consumer focused roles, most recently as the CEO of Foot Locker’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) business. He also previously served as the president of Foot Locker Digital. In his new role, Talwar will help lead Wish’s turnaround strategy. “I am eager to apply my own experience within the retail and ecommerce space to further refine our focus and put the business back onto a path of growth. I firmly believe the best years for Wish are right ahead of us,” Talwar said.
Feb. 1, 2022: Richemont has tapped Dr. Bérangère Ruchat as its first-ever chief sustainability officer. Dr. Ruchat joins from the Firmenich Group, Switzerland, where she was chief sustainability officer and more recently, SVP of sustainability. During her 12-year tenure, Dr. Ruchat established unique partnerships, drove Firmenich sustainability strategy and led the group ESG reporting. Beforehand, she was the director of partnerships at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) from 2004, having led the Partners in Action Program at the United Nations System Staff College, which she joined in 2000. Dr. Ruchat was acknowledged by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Leading Women Awards for her work in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in 2016. She also received the Head of Sustainability of the Year award by Ethical Corporation in 2015.
Courtesy of Richemont
Jan. 31, 2022: Foot Locker has named Robert Higginbotham as its new VP of investor relations. In his new role, effective Monday, Higginbotham oversees engagement with the footwear retailer’s shareholders, investors and analysts. Before Foot Locker, Higginbotham led consumer and retail research as a consumer strategist at Guidepoint Global, LLC. “Robert brings significant financial and analytical experience and a deep understanding of the investment process, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Foot Locker team,” said EVP and CFO Andrew Page.
Jan. 31, 2022: The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has tapped Foot Locker, Inc. chairman and CEO Richard “Dick” Johnson as the new chair of the Association’s board of directors. Johnson, who succeeds former chairperson Mary Dillon of Ulta Beauty, will serve a two-year term, effective immediately. “I’m honored to serve as the new chair of RILA’s board of directors and grateful to the organization’s leadership and commitment to our industry. The retail industry has experienced significant change in the last two years and there is immense opportunity as we look towards the future. I look forward to continued collaboration with this group of retail leaders on common challenges and progress on issues that will transform the industry,” said Johnson in a statement.
Joshua Scott Photo
Jan. 28, 2022: Craig Lyon, Nike’s former senior director of brand marketing, has joined Adopt to serve as a senior brand strategist. Adopt, a marketing firm focused on sport, wellness, nutrition and consumer-facing products, was founded last year by Nike veterans David Creech, Nicole Graham and Josh Moore as well as Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul. After leaving Nike in February of 2021 after a ten year stint, Lyon served as the VP of marketing at Alien Labs & Connected Cannabis Co. for about a year before joining Adopt.
Jan. 27, 2022: Lululemon has appointed Alison Loehnis to its board of directors. Loehnis is the president of fashion at Yoox Net-a-Porter, an online luxury and fashion retailer. Loehnis has previously held roles at LVMH, Hachette Filipacchi and The Walt Disney Company. “Alison Loehnis is a dynamic leader with a remarkable track record of consistently driving growth through her knowledge of consumer and product trends,” said chairman of the board Glenn Murphy. “We look forward to benefiting from Alison’s valuable insights and expertise as lululemon continues to grow around the world.”
Jan. 27, 2022: Ann Miller, a 14-year Nike veteran with more than two decades of legal experience, has been named EVP and general counsel of the footwear company, effective Feb. 17. Miller succeeds Hilary Krane, who has decided to retire next month after 12 years with the company. Miller joined Nike in 2007 and has held several senior roles across the company. For the past six years she has served as Nike’s VP, corporate secretary and chief ethics & compliance officer. Miller’s prior roles at Nike include overseeing all legal work for Nike’s North America geography as well as serving as VP and general counsel for Converse. Prior to joining Nike, Miller worked as a corporate lawyer at the law firms of Paul Hastings and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
Jan. 26, 2022: British Department store Debenhams has tapped Daniel Finley to serve as its new CEO. Finley was formerly the multichannel director for JD Sports Fashion group for about a decade. British online fashion retailer Boohoo acquired the intellectual property assets of Debenhams last year, following months of struggling for the department store, which was compounded in the pandemic. In a Jan. 25 post on LinkedIn, Finely said “I am delighted to take charge of a great British heritage brand and looking forward to building on the progress that the team have made since it’s acquisition.”
Jan. 24, 2022: Diesel has appointed Eraldo Poletto as CEO for North America. Poletto, a manager with many years of experience in the fashion industry, will report to Diesel’s global CEO, Massimo Piombini, and will take charge of the company’s development on a key market with great growth potential for the brand. He takes up his post immediately. Poletto has worked in the luxury and retail sectors for about 30 years. Since 2018 he has been CEO and brand president of the Stuart Weitzman footwear brand, part of the Tapestry clothing and accessories group in New York. Previously, he was managing director of several important Italian companies, including Salvatore Ferragamo and Furla, where he played a significant role in the brands’ development on a global scale. Before 2016, Poletto worked for about 15 years with Retail Brand Alliance Inc., where he was responsible for the international growth of the Brooks Brothers brand.
Courtesy of Diesel
Jan. 24, 2022: Sachin Dhawan has joined Stitch Fix as its new chief technology officer and will report to CEO Elizabeth Spauldin
g. Dhawan was previously the SVP of infrastructure & operations at Visa. Prior to Visa, Dhawan was chief technology officer at payments disruptor Blackhawk Network, and spent more than 16 years at PayPal and Microsoft, where he focused on building and growing PayPal’s global consumer products and Microsoft’s personalization & ads technology. “Sachin’s roots in data science and personalization, combined with his experience growing and scaling infrastructure across global teams will help unlock our potential as we look forward to the opportunities ahead,” said Spaulding in a statement.
Courtesy of Stitch Fix
Jan. 21, 2022: Church’s & Co. has appointment of Denni Manzatto as its new CEO. In his new role, Manzatto will lead the Northampton-based footwear brand towards a new global growth strategy, using his significant professional experience to accelerate the international development and re-branding of the Church’s label. Manzatto joined the Prada Group, which owns Church’s & Co., in 2013, covering various positions in the commercial department. In Sept. 2019, he took on the role of commercial director, responsible for developing the wholesale channel and managing eyewear and fragrances licenses and commercial development projects, a position he will continue to hold on a temporary basis.
Courtesy of Church’s
Jan. 19, 2022: Adam Michaels has been promoted from SVP and chief digital officer at Crocs to EVP and chief digital officer. The executive joined Crocs in 2013 and has focused on the company’s digital commerce growth, which is an area of focus for the fast-growing footwear brand. Crocs is leaning into its digital business with a goal to have 50% of total revenues be derived from digital channels by the end of 2026.
Crocs
Jan. 19, 2022: Forever 21 has announced Winnie Park will become its new CEO, effective immediately. Park joins Forever 21 from Paper Source, where she served as CEO for the past six years. Prior to Paper Source, Park held executive roles across e-commerce, global marketing, and fashion merchandising including a nine-year tenure at the Hong Kong-based international luxury retail leader, DFS, a division of LVMH. She started her career at McKinsey & Company San Francisco in fashion retail and consumer digital before joining Levi Strauss and Co. to lead women’s merchandising for Dockers. At Forever 21, Park will report into Marc Miller, CEO of SPARC, the group made up of Authentic Brands Group, Brookfield Property Group and Simon Property Group which bought the retailer in 2020.
Forever 21
Jan. 18, 2022: Bally has tapped Rhuigi Villaseñor as its new creative director. Villaseñor will oversee the artistic direction across the brand. His first collection for Bally will debut for the Spring/Summer 2023 season. Born in Manila, Rhuigi Villaseñor, is the founder, CEO, and creative director of the brand Rhude since 2015. He started his career in Los Angeles, and credits his passion for design and his understanding of garment construction to growing up with a mother who was a tailor and father who was an architect. A Filipino and American national, raised in several continents before emigrating to the U.S. at the age of nine, Villaseñor has been recognized as one of today’s most promising fashion talents. With a thriving business that includes ready-to-wear and accessories coveted by celebrities around the world, Villaseñor’s reach extends to a broad and diverse audience, amplified also through his lifest
yle partnerships including homeware and automotive. Villaseñor will be based between Los Angeles and Switzerland.
Courtesy of Bally
Jan. 18, 2022: Ecco Sko A/S has named Tom Berry as president and CEO of Ecco USA, effective immediately. Berry is a seasoned veteran with a long history in consumer goods and footwear. Most recently, Berry served as SVP of global business development at Levi Strauss & Co. He also served as managing director for several of Levi’s subsidiaries and led their global licensed business. Prior to Levi’s, Berry held executive and general management positions with global leaders like The Tecnica Group, Adidas-Salomon, and VF Corporation / The North Face. “Tom is a global strategic leader with a proven track record of brand building and business transformation,” said Panos Mytaros, CEO of Ecco Sko A/S, in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with him to introduce our brand to a new generation of consumers and to take Ecco to new heights in the critical and leading U.S. market.”
Courtesy of Ecco
Jan. 18, 2022: Nordstrom has tapped Rickie De Sole as its new women’s designer fashion & editorial director. In this newly created role, De Sole will work cross-functionally across different facets of the women’s designer division, bringing a heightened point of view to the merchandising offering to deliver against business goals and growth plans, the department store said. Nordstrom also said that De Sole will develop the women’s designer editorial plan, create engaging designer content, act as a spokesperson, build a heightened customer community and drive results. De Sole joins Nordstrom from Vogue.com where she was the executive fashion director supporting business initiatives and content across digital, print and social platforms as well as editorial collaborations and e-commerce. Prior to Vogue, De Sole was the fashion director at W Magazine, accessories director at Vogue Magazine and worked in-house at Prada.
Jan. 18, 2022: TheDrop.com, a global marketplace serving the $200 billion youth lifestyle market, has named Scott Keating as its new chief merchandising officer. In this newly created role, Keating will lead TheDrop’s global merchandising strategy and manage relationships with the 300+ brands and retail shops who currently sell products through its platform.Keating was formerly at Nike, where he spent 14 years in a range of leadership roles for the footwear giant, most recently as the global sales & brand director for Nike SB. In this role, he was responsible for driving global growth from the U.S. to Europe, China and Japan. Prior to that, Keating led the Nike Snowboarding group where he developed the top snowboarding boot in the market before Nike closed the division.
Courtesy of TheDrop
Jan. 17, 2022: Canadian department store The Bay has tapped Alexander Meyer as its new chief customer officer. Meyer will be responsible for the ongoing transformation of The Bay’s integrated marketing, media and customer success strategies, with a focus on high growth, brand and personalization. Reporting directly to Iain Nairn, president and CEO, Meyer will oversee the brand strategy and customer insights, marketing and creative, loyalty, and communications functions for The Bay and Hudson’s Bay businesses. For the past five years Meyer served as chief marketing officer for Australia’s The Iconic, Australia and New Zealand’s largest fashion and sports destination. Prior, he served in senior and C-suite roles at organizations including Adidas International, Vans, Quiksilver Inc., and social content start-up Hubrick.
Courtesy of HBC
Jan. 17, 2022: Valentino is bolstering its executive team with two new hires. First up, Giuseppe De Mori has been named chief operations and logistics officer, effective immediately. He joins from Bottega Veneta, where he held the role of GM of industrial operations, in charge of the development of the production processes, of the product and of the supply chain. De Mori is now tasked with coordinating the manufacturing of all product categories together with the logistics function at a global level. In He will also be in charge of making Valentino’s industrial footprint efficient through the evolution, improvement and digitization of internal processes, with a focus on sustainability. Alberto Fasanotti will also join Valentino as global CFO starting next month. He was most recently CFO at Chanel U.K. and Region, which comprises Ireland, Canada and Central and South America. At Valentino, Fasanotti will be responsible for leading the finance strategy globally through the transformation of the organization and the digitization of internal processes to optimize business performance, and facilitate strategic decisions. He will also be in charge of areas ranging from accounting, tax and treasury to controlling and purchasing.
Jan. 16, 2022: The National Retail Federation (NRF) announced on Saturday that Walmart U.S. president and CEO John Furner has been elected chairman of NRF’s board of directors. Furner replaces former Qurate Retail, Inc. president and CEO Mike George, who has served in the role since 2020. Additionally, the trade organization’s nonprofit NRF Foundation named a new chair and added two directors to its board during a virtual meeting on Jan. 14. Macy’s, Inc. chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette concluded his term as chair of the NRF Foundation board and Bloomingdale’s chairman and CEO Tony Spring will begin his three-year term as board chair. In addition to the new chair, Macy’s, Inc. SVP of corporate communications Malek Robert “Bobby” Amirshahi and Keith Lipert, president of the Keith Lipert Gallery, have been named to three-year terms on the board.
Walmart
Jan. 15, 2022: Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) has made two more senior leadership appointments. The luxury retail chain has tapped Amanda Martin as SVP, chief supply chain officer and will take over responsibility for all supply chain operations, including NMG’s multi-year supply chain transformation. In addition to this responsibility, Martin will oversee the retailer’s photo studio and customer care divisions. And, Vijay Karthik has been promoted to SVP, chief technology officer and is tasked with driving end-to-end customer facing IT development and architecture. Karthik will lead a number of functions including omnichannel engineering, cloud platforms, operations and reliability, and architecture for the luxury retailer. “We are fortunate to have such strong talent at our company that we are able to develop and promote to lead all of the critical growth work we are executing,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of NMG, in a statement.
Jan. 13, 2021: Luxury shoe label Sergio Rossi, which was acquired last June by Fosun Fashion Group (now Lanvin Group), has named a new artistic director: Evangelie Smyrniotaki. Starting this month, the Greek model and art director will begin overseeing the Sergio Rossi brand image, including directing marketing campaigns and content creation. She will also present her first capsule collection, Evangelie Smyrniotaki x Sergio Rossi, at the upcoming February 2022 Milan Fashion Week. CEO Riccardo Sciutto said in a statement, “I strongly believe that [Evangelie’s] knowledge on luxury shoes aesthetic and new media will apport a great value to the brand. The communication has changed a lot in these years and Evangelie sums up the new figures that industry needs.”
Courtesy of Sergio Rossi
Jan. 13, 2021: Columbia Sportswear Co. has named Jim Beeman as VP of U.S. sales for the Columbia brand. Beeman will report to Tim Sheerin, SVP of global wholesale for the Columbia brand. “Jim has led multiple teams at Nike and driven significant growth in support of large integrated wholesale partnerships, driven category brand marketing and retail brand marketing, as well as territory-based teams across wholesale, digital and direct,” Sheerin said in a statement.
Courtesy of Columbia
Jan. 13, 2022: ThredUp has added Coretha Rushing to the company’s board of directors. Rushing has previously served in human resources roles at Equifax Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi and IBM. She also founded her own consulting firm, CR Consulting Alliance LLC. At ThredUp, Coretha focus on ThredUp’s employee initiatives related to health and wellness, retention, and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
ThredUp
Jan. 11, 2022: JCPenney has tapped two executives in e-commerce and omnichannel. Katie Mullen has been named as chief digital and transformation officer. Mullen will lead the growth of the e-commerce business, including Jcp.com, and will also be responsible for driving enterprise strategy and the company’s transformation agenda. Mullen most recently spent nearly three years with Neiman Marcus Group, as chief transformation officer and then chief digital officer. Previously, she was a partner and managing director at Boston Consulting Group.
JCPenney has also tapped Sharmeelee Bala as its new chief information officer. She will assume responsibility for the information technology (IT) organization and global technology systems that power the company’s stores, operational centers and supply chain, and corporate functions. Bala joins the company from Gap Inc., where she held leadership positions since 2018 and most recently served as the head of product engineering. Bala also spent 20 years with Walmart in a number of technology and executive roles of increasing responsibility.
Jan. 11, 2022: Dunhill has named Laurent Malecaze as its new CEO. Malecaze joins the British menswear brand from AZ Factory which he started with the late Alber Elbaz and led through its development. He was previously CEO of New York-based The Webster, a luxury multi-brand retailer, after several years as strategic consultant at Bain & Company. “Laurent comes with an entrepreneurial spirit and extensive experience in retail,” said Philippe Fortunato, CEO of fashion & accessories maisons at Richemont, Dunhill’s parent company. “At AZ Factory alongside the late Alber Elbaz, he has demonstrated the ability to establish a strong design identity through a digital-first approach. He is the perfect fit to open a new chapter for Dunhill.”
Courtesy of Dunhill
Jan. 11, 2022: Nester Hosiery announced it has tapped Chris Bevin to fill its SVP of brands and licenses role. Bevin brings 30 years of experience in the industry to Nester Hosiery, a manufacturer of performance merino wool socks and the parent company of Farm to Feet. The experience includes more than 15 years spent at Balega, where Bevin served as president from 2009 to 2015. “We are putting considerable resources behind each of our established business channels as we position ourselves for considerable growth in 2022 and beyond,” Nester Hosiery CEO Kelly Neste said in a statement. “Adding Chris to our team is a big step in our strategic growth plan as he brings a wealth of industry and brand building expertise.”
Courtesy of Nester Hosiery
Jan. 11, 2022: VF Corp. has announced the appointment of Nicole Otto to the global brand president role at The North Face, effective June. Otto will succeed Steve Murray, who is set to retire and return to the UK. Otto will report to chairman, president and CEO Steve Rendle, and will also serve on the company’s executive leadership team. Before assuming this role at The North Face, Otto spent 16 years at Nike, most recently serving at the athletic giant’s VP of Nike Direct North America, a position she held from 2018 to May 2021.
Courtesy of The North Face
Jan. 10, 2022: Mo Vachon is joining Rothy’s as the brand’s first-ever VP of retail. Vachon joins Rothy’s with decades of experience from retailers including Express, Charlotte Russe, and Claire’s and will lead all of Rothy’s retail stores, overseeing retail store operations. The brand said that he will also oversee the continuous development and implementation of operational strategies to evolve the Rothy’s in-store customer experience as the company expands. “We’re thrilled to welcome Mo Vachon as our new VP of Retail at Rothy’s,” Heather Skidmore Howard, COO at Rothy’s, told FN. “Mo brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from a variety of retail brands that will be instrumental in driving the growth of Rothy’s retail stores in his new role.” The move comes on the heels of Rothy’s announcement last fall that it will open six new stores (doubling its retail footprint) through early 2022.
Courtesy of Rothy’s
Jan. 10, 2022: Steve Madden has named Arian Simone and Peter A. Davis to its board of directors. These appointments expand the board to eleven directors, nine of whom are independent directors. Simone is president and CEO of Fearless Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in women of color-led businesses, which she co-founded in 2018. From 2004 to 2017, Simone was the owner of AR PR Marketing, a publicity and marketing strategy firm.
Davis has over 30 years of experience in the footwear and apparel industry, having held executive leadership positions in sales and marketing with companies including Skechers, Fila, Reebok, Joy & Mario, and Dynasty Footwear. He also founded The Infamous Black Sheep Brand, an urban action sports lifestyle brand. A former player in the NBA, today Davis runs Pete Davis Basketball, a grassroots community youth basketball organization.
“The addition of these directors complements our board’s skills and experiences, and with Arian’s marketing expertise and Pete’s deep industry knowledge, we are confident they will provide valuable perspectives,” said Edward Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Steve Madden Ltd. “We look forward to their engagement and assistance in guiding our strategy and enhancing value for all our stakeholders.”
Courtesy of Steve Madden
Jan. 6, 2022: Lisa Gurwitch is stepping down as CEO of Delivering Good, a post she has held since January 2015. Prior to joining Delivering Good, Gurwitch was senior vice president for Institutional Advancement and External Relations at World Learning. Gary Simmons will become interim CEO and he and Gurwitch will work closely over the coming weeks. The nonprofit has retained the firm of Berglass + Associates to assist in the search for a permanent president and CEO. Simmons previously served on the board of Delivering Good for more than 20 years, including more than four years as co-chair. He also chaired the board of Kids in Distressed Situations, one of the predecessors to Delivering Good. He was previously CEO of Gerber Childrenswear and chair of the American Apparel & Footwear Association.
Courtesy of Delivering Good
Jan. 3, 2022: French luxury fashion house Balmain has tapped Emily V. George to serve in the new role of president, Americas, WWD reported. The move comes as the fashion house plots further growth in the crucial U.S. market. George, who began her new role on Monday, comes off an almost 20-year career at Marc Jacobs International, where she most recently served as the SVP of Americas, retail and wholesale. Balmain has six stores in U.S. and is sold across Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom stores as well.
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