Industry Moves: Former Speedo President Returns to the Company, Diesel Appoints North America CEO + More
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April 30, 2020: Jim Gerson, who was the president of Speedo North America from 2010 to 2016, has returned to the company and will assume the same role. Gerson will start on June 1 and report to Pentland Group’s brands division CEO Andy Long. Prior to joining Speedo North America, which was acquired by Pentland from PVH Corp. in January, Gerson was president of Reef and held SVP roles for The North Face and Jantzen.
April 28, 2020: Patrick Valeo has joined Diesel as CEO of its North America business, according to FN’s sister publication WWD. The exec succeeds Stefano Rosso, who will stay on the board of OTB Group — the parent company of Diesel, as well as fashion brands Maison Margiela, Marni and Amiri.
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April 28, 2020: Athletic specialty retailer Hibbett Sports announced the nomination of Jamere Jackson for election as a Class III director at its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 28. Jackson is the CFO of rental car company Hertz Global Holdings Inc. and also serves on the board of pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly & Company. Hibbett stated Ralph Parks, the current Class III director, is retiring from the board of directors.
April 23, 2020: Walmart has named its new chief marketing officer. William White joins the team from Target, where he most recently served as SVP of marketing. In his new role, effective May 11, White will report directly to Walmart’s chief customer officer, Janey Whiteside. The post has been vacant for months since the departure of former CMO Barbara Messing.
April 22, 2020: Ted Baker has appointed John Barton as nonexecutive chairman. The chairman of easyJet, Barton previously served as chairman of fashion retailer Next. His appointment comes just weeks after Ted Baker elevated Rachel Osborne to the permanent role of CEO (she had been serving in the position on a temporary basis).
April 21, 2020: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. announced the appointment of Mike Mathias as EVP and chief financial officer, effective immediately. Former CFO Bob Madore will remain with AEO in a senior advisory capacity through September, reporting to executive chairman and CEO Jay Schottenstein. Mathias most recently served as AEO’s SVP and head of financial planning and analysis. He will report directly to Schottenstein.
April 20, 2020: Merrell announced today it has appointed Alex Brown to the position of VP of U.S. sales. Prior to Merrell, Brown most recently was the senior sales director for The North Face. His career also includes stints at Pearl Izumi, Michigan-based specialty run retailer Playmakers and his own sales and marketing agency. Brown will report directly to Merrell global brand president Chris Hufnagel.
April 20, 2020: A month after announcing the appointment of its new CEO, RTW Retailwinds has informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that Traci Inglis has resigned. Prior to the role of executive chief, which she was set to take on April 17, Inglis was president and chief marketing and customer officer. She will serve as a consultant to the company through the end of August. According to the filing, CFO Sheamus Toal has been named CEO and will retain his current post. Four directors have also exited the board, leaving behind four members.
April 17, 2020: Lululemon has announced the departure of CFO Patrick Guido. After two years at the athletic apparel retailer, he will exit on May 8 to assume the finance chief post at auto retailer Asbury Automotive Group. As Lululemon looks for a successor, SVP of financial planning and analysis Meghan Frank as well as VP and controller Alex Grieve will lead the finance team and help ensure a smooth transition. Both execs will report to CEO Calvin McDonald on an interim basis.
April 17, 2020: Tapestry, owner of Coach has appointed John P. Bilbrey to its board of directors, bringing the total number of members to eight. Bilbrey was previously CEO and president of global confectionery maker, The Hershey Company and also sits on the boards of Campbell Soup Company, Elanco Animal Health and Colgate-Palmolive.
April 16, 2020: Johnston & Murphy, a division of Genesco Inc., has named David Nau as VP of design and development for the Johnston & Murphy brand group. He will lead the team in designing the men’s and women’s footwear and leather accessories collections for both the Johnston & Murphy and Trask brands, reporting to Danny Ewoldsen, group president. Prior to joining the company, Nau served as VP of global design for Sperry. He also held positions at Ugg and Timberland
April 15, 2020: Ermenegildo Zegna has named a new executive chief of North America operations. Luca Lo Curzio, currently its global chief marketing and digital officer, has stepped into the role, according to FN’s sister publication WWD. He succeeds Robert Aldrich, who will leave the Italian luxury fashion house at the end of the month to pursue other professional opportunities.
April 15, 2020: Nike has announced the appointment of Ann Hebert as VP and GM of North America Geography. The 25-year company veteran succeeds another longtime executive, Tom Peddie, who is retiring from the sportswear giant. Effective June 1, Hebert transitions into the new role from her former post as VP of global sales. She will be tasked with leading the region’s sales, marketing, merchandising and other departments. “Ann’s deep experience and inspiring leadership will be instrumental in accelerating our Consumer Direct Offense in North America, as we build on our successful strategy of providing consumers with the most innovative product and compelling services and experiences to deliver long-term sustainable growth for Nike,” said Heidi O’Neill, president of consumer and marketplace.
April 15, 2020: Under Armour has appointed Lisa Collier as its chief product officer, effective April 27. Collier last served as president and CEO of jeans company NYDJ from 2016 to 2019. The executive, who has had stints at Levi Strauss & Co., Tarrant Apparel Group, The Limited and Hess’s Department Stores in her more than 30-year career, will report directly to President and CEO Patrik Frisk.
April 13, 2020: Jamie Iannone has been named CEO of eBay and will also join the company’s board of directors. He will take the helm on April 27, 2020. Iannone was appointed Walmart’s chief operating officer for U.S. e-commerce earlier this year and had previously been CEO of Samsclub.com and EVP of membership and technology. Prior to that, Iannone worked at eBay as a VP and in other leadership roles from 2001 to 2009. “The board believes Jamie is the ideal CEO to lead eBay’s next chapter of growth and success,” said Thomas Tierney, chairman of the eBay board. “We have all been impressed by his strong track record of innovation, execution, operational excellence and developing teams that drive results.”
April 13, 2020: Former Under Armour communications executive Diane Pelkey, who defected from the brand in early March, has landed in a new industry. Pelkey, who last served as UA’s head of its global communications and entertainment division, is now leading the communications efforts for Chewy Inc., according to a Baltimore Business Journal report. The title listed on her LinkedIn profile is head of communications and PR.
April 7, 2020: Asos today announced the appointment of Patrik Silén as chief strategy officer, effective May 5. He will report directly to CEO Nick Beighton. Silén joins Asos from McKinsey & Company, where he has been a partner since 2012. In his role at Asos, Silén will work on increasing performance, while leading the development and implementation of Asos’ strategy. This is one of a series of hires meant to strengthen the company’s executive team.
April 7, 2020: Macy’s Inc. has announced the upcoming departure of EVP and CFO Paula Price. According to the retailer, Price, who has served as CFO since July 2018, will exit her role on May 31 and remain an adviser to the company through November to support the transition. An external search is underway for her replacement.
April 3, 2020: Nordstrom Inc. today announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors: Jim Donald, co-chairman of Albertsons Companies Inc. board of directors, and Mark Tritton, president and CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond. Both additions are expected to aid the company’s goals to evolve and improve customer experience. Nordstrom previously disclosed at the company’s annual shareholders meeting on May 20 that board members Kevin Turner and Gordon Smith have chosen not to seek reelection at the expiration of their respective terms. Additionally, the board announced planned changes designed “to enhance its corporate governance,” including reducing the maximum size of the board from 11 to 10 over the next two years and introducing a 10-year term limit for independent directors. Nordstrom directors serve one-year terms and the company requires annual elections of all board members, which take place at the annual shareholders’ meeting.
See below for big executive moves from March 2020.
March 30, 2020: Ted Baker acting CEO Rachel Osbourne has been appointed to the role permanently, the brand announced today. Osbourne arrived at Ted Baker as CFO in November 2019 and was appointed as interim chief in December 2019. Prior to joining the Ted Baker team, Osbourne worked in various roles at Debenhams, Domino’s and John Lewis.
March 25, 2020: Under Armour chief product officer Kevin Eskridge will be leaving the company on Aug. 15, the company reported to the SEC on Tuesday. This is the latest in a series of executive departures at the Baltimore-based athletic brand. “During Kevin’s more than 10-year tenure at Under Armour, we’ve transformed from a small U.S. company into a multibillion-dollar global athletic performance brand, and his impact on our business has been significant,” said Under Armour president and CEO Patrik Frisk in a statement. “As we continue to execute against our long-term strategy, we are incredibly proud of the entire product organization and extremely confident in our ability to continue our evolution toward best practices and delivering performance solutions you never knew you needed and can’t imagine living without.”
March 23, 2020: Hugo Boss CEO Mark Langer will exit his post at the end of September. Langer has been in the CEO spot since 2016 and has worked in various roles at the company for nearly two decades. After September, he will continue to work with Hugo Boss as a consultant. No successor has been named yet.
March 5, 2020: Sarah Flint has tapped a new executive chief. Mary Beech, who previously served as EVP and CMO at Kate Spade, has joined the designer label as its CEO. She will report directly to founder, executive chairman and creative director Sarah Flint. Prior to Kate Spade, Beech was the SVP of global licensing and marketing for Disney and Pixar Animation at The Walt Disney Company.
March 3, 2020: Nordstrom has shuffled around its leadership. The retailer has promoted Erik Nordstrom to the role of CEO, and Pete Nordstrom will move into the roles of president and chief brand officer. The brothers were previously dual CEOs of the company. “These titles help clarify our respective roles, as we strive to maximize our impact both as individual leaders and as a team. Pete and I continue to be partners in ensuring Nordstrom’s success, and we are both focused on executing our long-term plan,” Erik Nordstrom said in a statement.
March 3, 2020: As it goes private, Hudson’s Bay Co. is making a change at the top spot. The company today announced the departure of CEO Helena Foulkes, and Executive Chairman Richard Baker will take the helm as CEO. Foulkes had served in the chief post since February 2018; her exit is effective March 13.
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