Industry Moves: August 2020

FN Staff
·8 min read

Aug. 31, 2020: Outdoor gear and apparel company Cotopaxi has added Deckers Brands performance lifestyle group president Wendy Yang to its board. Yang, who oversees several brands including Hoka One One, Sanuk and Teva at Deckers, will bring “integral growth strategy perspective and experience” to Cotopaxi’s board. “We’ve concluded a disciplined year-long search for a board member to assist Cotopaxi as we enter our next stage of growth,” Cotopaxi founder and CEO Davis Smith said in a statement. “Wendy is a world-class brand builder and a distinguished leader, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to our board.”

Aug. 27, 2020: Dollar General has announced the promotion of Kathy Reardon to the post of EVP and chief people officer. She joined the company in 2009 as its director of corporate human resources. Over the past 11 years, she worked roles in the company’s corporate human resources, talent management and field human resources departments. Reardon most recently served as its SVP and chief people officer since March 2019. “Kathy’s effectiveness as a leader at Dollar General is evident in the company’s lowest store manager turnover on record, increased employee engagement scores and leading our ongoing diversity and inclusion journey, which extends to all levels of our organization,” CEO Todd Vasos said in a statement.

Aug. 26, 2020: Target has elected Christine Leahy and Derica Rice to its board of directors. Leahy currently serves as president, CEO and director of technology solutions provider CDW, which she joined in 2002. She held a series of executive leadership roles prior to taking the helm in January 2019. Her appointment at Target is effective Jan. 1. On the other hand, Rice — who is CVS Health’s former EVP and CVS Caremark president — previously served as a member of Target’s board of directors from 2007 to January 2018. He returns to the company’s board on Aug. 31.

Aug. 24, 2020: Camper has named its new global creative director. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, Achilles Ion Gabriel, who has served as the creative director of CamperLab for a year, will debut his first collection for the brand in fall 2021. He presented his first CamperLab collection last January at Paris Fashion Week Men’s and launched his own namesake shoe line in 2012. Ion Gabriel succeeds Romain Kremer, who stepped down in June last year following six years in the post.

Aug. 21, 2020: The executive chief of Amazon‘s worldwide consumer business is set to retire early next year. Jeff Wilke, who joined the company in 1999 and helped build its logistics operations, will be succeeded by current SVP of retail operations Dave Clark. In a note to staffers, founder and CEO Jeff Bezos wrote that Wilke has served as his “tutor” and an “incredible teacher” to the e-commerce behemoth. “That form of leadership is so leveraged,” Bezos said. “When you see us taking care of customers, you can thank Jeff for it.” Wilke is Amazon’s second-highest ranking executive along with Andy Jassy, who is the CEO of its cloud computing division. He was long considered a contender to take over the top spot if Bezos were to exit his post.

Aug. 18, 2020: FN’s sister publication WWD has learned that Jennifer Johnson was promoted to the role of ready-to-wear fashion director at Macy’s. The executive, who has been with the company for 14 years, will replace Suzanne Anderson and lead all areas of women’s apparel within the retailer’s fashion office. Johnson has more than two decades of expertise in trend forecasting and marketing. In 2006, she joined Macy’s as its head fashion stylist, as well as held a number of marketing jobs — most recently as its director of creative marketing integration and production. In her new role, she reports directly to Macy’s fashion office VP Durand Guion.

Aug. 15, 2020: Guess? Inc.‘s Maurice Marciano has been injured in a bike accident near his home in Napa Valley. The American clothing brand announced that the non-executive chairman of the board — who co-founded the company with brother Paul Marciano, its chief creative officer and director — was replaced by Alex Yemenidjian, an independent board member for more than 15 years and the current lead independent director, effective Aug. 14. Maurice Marciano will continue in his role as a member of the Guess board.

Aug. 14, 2020: Boot Barn Holdings Inc. has announced the promotion of Greg Hackman to EVP and COO. Along with the additional roles, Greg will continue in the CFO post, which he has held since 2015. “Greg’s extensive retail industry experience and financial expertise have helped Boot Barn through a tremendous period of growth,” CEO Jim Conroy said in a statement. “Greg has built a world-class finance team, and this promotion recognizes the contributions he has made across several additional functional areas.”

Aug. 13, 2020: Hudson’s Bay Company has appointed a new CFO. Michael Culhane will succeed Ed Record, who is stepping down as planned and will remain with the company to ensure a smooth transition. Culhane — who has more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience, primarily in the retail sector — most recently served as the finance chief at privately held shipping and industrial supplies distributor Uline, as well as CFO at retail chain The Bon-Ton Stores and online travel agency Fareportal. He also previously held the same post at HBC. “This is an exciting time to return to such an iconic company,” Culhane said in a statement. “I look forward to building upon the tremendous work the team has done to empower each of our operating companies as they capitalize on opportunities in their respective markets while driving growth.”

Aug. 12, 2020: Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger parent PVH Corp. has announced that Julie Fuller will join the company next month and assume the role of chief human resources officer on Jan. 1. EVP and HR head Dave Kozel, who has been with the company for 18 years, will transition out of the post at the end of the year and serve in an advisory capacity through 2021. Fuller is currently Nike’s VP of global talent and organizational effectiveness. In addition to six years at the sportswear giant, where she also led HR for its North America division, she held key HR leadership positions at both Avon and PepsiCo. “As we continue to accelerate our efforts to win with the consumer and drive fashion forward for good, we must continue the evolution of our HR strategy to support our brands and the strategic direction of PVH,” president Stefan Larsson said in a statement. “Julie brings extensive experience in establishing and nurturing talented high-performing teams for large multinational companies. Her expertise in HR, talent and leadership development, organizational effectiveness and associate engagement, as well as her experience in championing inclusion and diversity, will be incredible assets to PVH.”

Aug. 6, 2020: Athleta has named a new CMO in the interim. According to a Gap spokesperson, Tom Herbst joined the brand last week as its marketing chief. He previously served in the same position at The North Face and was named one of Forbes’ most influential CMOs in 2018. He is responsible for leading Athleta’s marketing team and driving strategies, programming and creative work while the company looks to permanently fill the role.

Aug. 5, 2020: Two women have joined The RealReal‘s board of directors: Coleman Consulting principal Caretha Coleman and Adeft Capital founder and CEO Carol Melton. With the new hires, the luxury consignment marketplace has achieved gender parity in its board. “Caretha and Carol’s leadership experience, depth of perspective and diverse backgrounds undoubtedly strengthen our team,” TheRealReal founder and CEO Julie Wainwright said in a statement. “Diversity on our board — and any board for that matter — is essential for innovation, operational excellence and culture inclusivity, and these women will be integral in those continued efforts.”

Aug. 5, 2020: Calvin Klein‘s EVP of global consumer engagement has departed the company. Steven Waldberg, who joined the fashion brand last January, made the announcement in an Instagram post. “Farewell Calvin Klein! What an honor to have been able to touch this global iconic brand which for decades has helped shape culture, constantly breaking boundaries. I take with me many proud moments and the privilege of having worked with super talented people on this journey,” he wrote. Waldberg previously served as the senior director of global communications at Bulgari and as VP of integrated consumer communications at Maybelline New York.

Aug. 4, 2020: Following its annual general meeting, Adidas‘ supervisory board will have a new chairman. Thomas Rabe, currently the board’s deputy chairman, will take over as chairman, with Igor Landau departing the role on Aug. 11. The board has also extended appointment of CEO Kasper Rorsted for another five years. His contract, which was set to expire on Aug. 1, 2021, will now end on July 31, 2026.

Aug. 3, 2020: VF Corp. has appointed Winnie Ma to the new position of president of Greater China. In her role, Ma is tasked with elevating the company’s business and brands in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She is also focused on advancing VF’s strategy of growing its business in the country, reporting directly to Kevin Bailey, EVP and group president of APAC and Emerging Brands. Ma joined VF following a decade-long career at Unilever in North Asia, where she most recently led its beauty and personal care category.

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