Industry Moves: Moschino Replaces GM, Victoria Beckham Has a New CEO + More

FN Staff

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Sept. 30, 2019: A new general manager at Moschino has been appointed one week after reports that Gabriele Maggio was leaving the brand. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, Stefano Secchi is joining the team from Etro, where he served as commercial director for three years. He also held roles at Versace as global wholesale director and began his career at the Giorgio Armani Group.

Sept. 27, 2019: Victoria Beckham Ltd. has appointed Marie Leblanc de Reynies as its new CEO, effective immediately. The exec succeeds Paolo Riva, who exited the business in July following 10 months in the role, and interim CEO Ralph Toledano, who continues in his post as chairman. Prior to the chief’s seat, Leblanc de Reynies was promoted to the position of managing director of brand and product over the summer.

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Sept. 27, 2019: Alessandra Domizi has been tasked to help develop Tod’s digital communication and online sales efforts. As the Italian brand’s chief digital and innovation officer, the former Google executive will work together with the chairman and CEO starting Oct. 14. Her role comes at a period of digital transformation for the company in a bid to lure in younger luxury consumers.

Sept. 26, 2019: Following weeks of delayed or missed shipments, Rent the Runway‘s chief supply officer is out. According to Business of Fashion, Marv Cunningham — an exec hailing from retail giants Amazon and Target — is departing his post at the end of the month after less than a year at the subscription fashion platform. Rent the Runway has recently faced backlash for customer service issues that included unfulfilled deliveries, with many customers taking to social media to express disappointment or outrage at the rental service.

Sept. 26, 2019: Moda Operandi has a new chief technology officer. Arpan Nanavati joins the fashion platform from WalmartLabs, where he served as director of engineering for the firm’s online grocery division. In his new role, Nanavati is tasked with helping drive growth through innovations in customer experience and design partnerships. He reports directly to CEO Ganesh Srivats.

Sept. 26, 2019: Gap Inc. has announced Mary Beth Laughton‘s appointment as president and CEO of its Athleta brand, effective in late October. The new chief will serve on the parent company’s senior leadership team, reporting to president and CEO Art Peck. Most recently an exec at Sephora, she also spent nine years at Nike. Laughton has more than two decades of retail experience, with a background in omnichannel strategies. She has also overseen departments including digital marketing and merchandising as well as CRM and analytics.

Sept. 25, 2019: eBay president and CEO Devin Wenig has stepped down. The chief, who joined the e-commerce giant eight years ago as president of its global marketplace division, was appointed to the top role in July 2015. The company’s board of directors has appointed Scott Schenkel — most recently its SVP and CFO — as interim CEO.

Sept. 25, 2019: Nadège Winter has joined Calvin Klein as SVP of brand experience. The new exec’s appointment was made public on LinkedIn, with no further details released by the American fashion house. Winter’s prior work experience ranges from style director at Wool and the Gang to co-founder of the Amish Boyish label. She also founded her namesake agency NWA in 2008 as well as launching Twenty Magazine.

Sept. 25, 2019: Burberry has named Debra Lee to its board as a non-executive director and member of its audit and nomination committees, effective Oct. 1. She currently serves as CEO and founder of Leading Women Defined as well as non-executive director at AT&T and a member of Marriott International’s nominating and corporate governance committees.

Sept. 23, 2019: Moschino‘s general manager is reportedly expected to leave the company by the end of September or early October. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, Gabriele Maggio‘s exit comes three years after he joined the Italian fashion house, taking over for Corrado Masini in July 2016. He previously served six years at Gucci and another six years at Bottega Veneta. His successor has yet to be named; WWD reported that an internal candidate has been identified.

Sept. 19, 2019: Boardriders Inc. announced a new multiyear growth strategy — and it includes the creation of several new positions and the promotion of existing executives. The Quiksilver parent company has appointed Shannan North as president, commercial strategy and growth; Mark Weber as global general manager, Billabong Men’s; Katie Singer as global general manager, Billabong Women’s; Dan Levine as global general manager, street; and David Brooks as global general manager, partners and distributions. Kevin Meehan is leaving the company, and Brad Blankinship will take over his role as global general manager, RVCA. Boardriders’ new initiatives will be overseen by Greg Healy, global president and president of EMEA and APAC, as well as by Nate Smith, president, Americas. In addition to the leadership changes, Boardriders announced a new sustainability platform to strengthen its eco-consciousness policies. The company named Cathey Curtis as its first-ever global head of sustainability; she will also serve as general manager, RVCA Women’s.

Sept. 18, 2019: Giuseppe Zanotti has appointed Eugenio Manghi as CEO. Previously holding the same top post at Italian fashion brand Elisabetta Franchi and Max Mara’s Marella, the new chief succeeds Nicola Brandolese, who was recently named managing director at Net-a-Porter.

Sept. 18, 2019: Fanatics has poached longtime Nike executive Michener Chandlee, who has been with the sportswear giant since 2001 and most recently served as its corporate audit and chief risk officer. Taking on the role of CFO, Chandlee replaces Lauren Cooks Levitan, who is joining wholesale marketplace Faire. He starts his new job on Monday.

Sept. 17, 2019: Pentland Brands has announced new executive team responsibilities as well as a new chief marketing officer role that it said will help drive the international growth of its portfolio of sports, outdoor and active brands. Pentland CEO Andy Long will continue to lead the executive team, while Chirag Patel will take on deputy CEO responsibilities, while still performing his COO role, which includes overseeing the Pentland Brands business in the Americas. Richard Newcombe, currently president of Pentland’s footwear division, has been appointed president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). While continuing to lead the footwear division, Newcombe will also be responsible for increasing brand presence and sales across priority EMEA markets. In addition, the company said it has started recruiting for a chief marketing officer, a new role that will report to Patel. The incoming CMO will take responsibility for strategy, product and marketing across the brand portfolio. After ten years at Pentland Brands as president, EMEA & Americas, Carl Davies, leaves the business at the end of September. Matt Rock continues as president for Asia Pacific and global supply chain; Katrina Nurse, who joined the business from Selfridges in 2018, continues as CFO and Katrina Wright continues in her role as chief human resources officer.

Sept. 16, 2019: Demna Gvasalia is leaving Vetements, WWD reported. The designer, who continues as creative director of Balenciaga, co-founded Vetements five years ago and quickly turned it into a streetwear phenomenon. “Vetements has always been a collective of creative minds. We will continue to push the boundaries even further, respecting codes and the authentic values of the brand, and keep on supporting honest creativity and genuine talent,” Demna’s brother Guram Gvasalia, co-founder and CEO of the Zurich-based fashion house, said in a statement.

Sept. 16, 2019: Toby Bateman, managing director of Mr Porter, is exiting the group, Yoox Net-a-Porter confirmed to FN today. “We would like to thank Toby Bateman for his long-term commitment. During the nearly 10 years he has been with the organization, he, together with his talented team, have achieved many notable successes,” said a spokesperson. A replacement has not been confirmed at this time, but the brand also stated: “We look forward to continuing to grow the business, as part of Yoox Net-A-Porter Group, through an exciting period of global expansion and development in luxury fashion and hard luxury.”

Sept. 12, 2019: Wolverine World Wide Inc. has announced the appointment of Chris Hufnagel as Merrell‘s new global brand president. The exec, who is a 10-year veteran of Wolverine World Wide Inc., most recently served as global brand president of Cat Footwear. He has also held multiple positions at Wolverine and launched the company’s consumer insights and market intelligence functions. Hufnagel will continue to report to Todd Spaletto, president of the Wolverine Michigan Group; he replaces Sue Rechner, who is departing the company.

Sept. 12, 2019: Kenneth Cole Productions has promoted Roberto Zamarra to the newly created position of group president of footwear, overseeing the men’s and women’s footwear divisions. A footwear industry veteran, Zamarra began his career in 1992 at Nordstrom and worked at the department store chain for six years and later spent time at InterShoe. He joined Kenneth Cole as a territory manager in 2001 and then moved to The Jones Group, where he became the president of Boutique Brands. Zamarra returned to Kenneth Cole Productions in March of 2013, as the president of women’s footwear.

Sept. 12, 2019: Nicola Brandolese has been named Yoox Net-a-Porter‘s managing director as the Milan-based company fortifies its senior management team. Succeeding Matthew Woolsey, Brandolese is tasked with driving YNAP’s global expansion and will report to luxury division president Alison Loehnis. He most recently served as CEO of Giuseppe Zanotti and previously worked at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Among YNAP’s other hires were Thierry Pichon, who takes on the newly created role of VP of global sales and customer experience; Alessia Crivelli, the new brand and communications director; Pete Marsden, who joins the company as chief technology officer; and Paolo Inga, who becomes the group’s global human resources director.

Sept. 11, 2019: StockX now has its first chief marketing officer. The company announced today that Deena Bahri would assume the role, effective immediately. She will be tasked with overseeing the marketing, content and design teams, as well as driving StockX’s overarching consumer-facing strategy. Prior to joining StockX, Bahri spent two years with the same title at personal genomics company Helix. Other experience includes time with Birchbox, Gilt Groupe, The Ladders and Reebok.

Sept. 11, 2019: Lacoste has made two key executive appointments: Catherine Spindler has been hired as EVP of marketing and branding, while Jean-Louis Delamarre is now EVP of markets and distribution. Based in Paris, both execs report to CEO Thierry Guibert. Spindler has previously worked at LVMH as well as serving as VP and member of the executive committee of the Dr. Pierre Ricaud brand and CMO of Vente-Privee. Delamarre, on the other hand, launched his career at Procter & Gamble, joining Lacoste in 2014 as CEO of the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2017, he held the role of CEO of Global Travel Retail.

Sept. 11, 2019: Nuala O’Connor has been appointed SVP and chief counsel of digital citizenship at Walmart Inc. With more than two decades of technology policy and legal leadership experience, O’Connor is tasked with advising the company on issues related to privacy, use of data, emerging technologies, cybersecurity and records management. Her previous roles were as president and CEO at the Center for Democracy and Technology, and VP of compliance and customer trust and associate general counsel for privacy and data protection at Amazon. She reports directly to Rachel Brand, EVP of global governance, chief legal officer and corporate secretary.

Sept. 11, 2019: J. C. Penney Company Inc. has named Colin Dougherty SVP of finance, reporting to CFO Bill Wafford. The new exec, who brings 18 years of retail finance experience to the team, will be responsible for finance strategy and operations as well as financial planning and analysis. He joins JCPenney from New York-based consulting firm Storch Advisors and previously served as SVP of financial planning and analysis at Hudson’s Bay Co.

Sept. 10, 2019: Richemont‘s fashion and accessories chief Eric Vallat is stepping down after just over a year in the role, effective Oct. 26. The firm’s fashion and accessories businesses, including Chloé, Dunhill and Maison Alaïa, will now report to Jérôme Lambert, group chief executive officer.

Sept. 9, 2019: Under Armour SVP of corporate communications Kelley McCormick has left the brand to pursue other opportunities, the company said today. She will continue to be an advisor to the brand for a few months during a transition period. McCormick in 2017 was named to the newly created role of SVP of corporate communications at the Baltimore-based athletic label — after spending time at SKD Knickerbocker as a managing director.

Sept. 9, 2019: Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma is stepping down from his role, coinciding with his 55th birthday on Tuesday. The famed exec, who founded the Chinese retail and e-commerce juggernaut in 1999, made his retirement announcement in 2018. He will remain on the company’s board of directors until 2020, with CEO Daniel Zhang taking over the reins.

Sept. 9, 2019: Kohl’s has announced the upcoming exit of president Sona Chawla, who is leaving the retailer in mid-October to pursue new opportunities. Along with the news, Paul Gaffney has been appointed senior EVP and chief technology officer, reporting directly to CEO Michelle Gass. He takes on the new role in mid-September, with previous experience as tech chief at Dick’s Sporting Goods and SVP of information technology at The Home Depot.

Sept. 9, 2019: Adam Orvos has reportedly exited from his role as CFO of Neiman Marcus Group Inc. after less than 18 months on the job. According to Retail Dive, the exec’s departure marks “a natural progression in his career.” He will stay on with the company until mid-October and help the team during the transition period.

Sept. 6, 2019: Maison Alaïa has tapped Myriam Serrano as its new CEO. Serrano joins the fashion house from another Richemont-owned brand, Chloé. She replaces Alison Sachs, who remains at the Richemont group, undertaking other responsibilities. Sachs continues to report directly to Eric Vallat, head of Richemont’s fashion and accessories maisons. Serrano, who also reports to Vallat, joined Richemont in 2006 as director of accessories collections for Chloé. She was later promoted to Chloé’s director of communication and accessories. Before joining Richemont, Serrano worked at Celine and Nina Ricci.

Sept. 6, 2019: Footwear charity Soles4Souls has added three new members to its board of directors for the start of its fiscal year. Steven Barr, consumer markets leader at PwC; Michele Love, chief commercial officer at Designer Brands; and Lisa Collier, president and CEO of NYDJ are the latest additions to the nonprofit organization’s board.

Sept. 5, 2019: Stephanie Pugliese is joining Under Armour Inc.‘s leadership team starting Sept. 16, serving as president of its North America division. The new exec, who will report directly to president and COO Patrik Frisk, previously served as president and CEO of Duluth Trading Company. She replaces former North America president Jason LaRose, who left the brand at the end of April.

Sept. 4, 2019: Two senior leaders have been promoted at Fila North America. Danny Lieberman, who has been associated with the brand for two decades, is now EVP of apparel. Meanwhile, Gary Wakley has been elevated to EVP of footwear after joining the company in 2007. Both execs will continue to report to Fila North America president Jennifer Estabrook.

Sept. 4, 2019: Rick Helfenbein is stepping down from his role as president and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, effective Dec. 31. He has been a member of the trade group for a decade and worked with the organization for nearly 15 years, including two years as chairman of the board of directors and four years at his current post. EVP Stephen Lamar, who has more than 21 years of experience at the AAFA, will take the helm at the start of 2020.

Sept. 4, 2019: Tapestry Inc. has announced the departure of CEO Victor Luis. Effective immediately, chairman of the board Jide Zeitlin, who has served for more than a decade on the company’s board, is taking on the top role. He has held the chairman post since November 2014 and has more than 30 years of global financial and operational experience. Board member Susan Kropf has also been named lead independent director.

Sept. 4, 2019: Two key executives at Topshop parent Arcadia Group Ltd. have exited. After five months as interim chairman, Jamie Drummond Smith stepped down last week. COO David Shepherd, a 25-year veteran at the fashion empire, also bowed out the same day. The news comes as Arcadia moves forward with its restructuring plan as it seeks to reduce costs by cutting underperforming stores.

Sept. 3, 2019: Neiman Marcus Group Inc. has a new chief merchant. Lana Todorovich, who has served as president of North American wholesaling at Ralph Lauren, is now the retailer’s president and chief merchandising officer. She succeeds Jim Gold, who left in March, and will report directly to CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck.

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