Shuffleboard: New Athleta CEO, True Religion Names Marketing Chief, Asics Adds Sales VP
Brands
Athleta
Gap Inc. announced that Athleta appointed Chris Blakeslee as its new president and CEO, effective Aug. 7. During his most recent role as president of sister brands Alo Yoga and Bella+Canvas, he guided the former’s sales past $1 billion last year, nearly doublings its year-on-year growth.
“A true brand champion, Chris is known for driving results in high-growth businesses through the blend of creativity and operational rigor,” said Bob Martin, executive chairman and interim CEO, Gap Inc. “Chris is a strong, decisive leader and proven business driver across multiple industries, including active apparel and wellness—one of the fastest and most aspirational retail sectors—making him well suited to guide Athleta into long-term, sustainable growth rooted in delivering high-quality performance product and a rich omni shopping experience.”
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Asics
Asics North America appointed Michael Dougherty as vice president of U.S. sales effective immediately. The 15-years global footwear veteran is in charge of U.S. wholesale sales.
Richard Sullivan, president and CEO of Asics North America, described Dougherty as a “strategic leader who brings a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to our leadership group.”
“There is currently great energy behind our brand, and we look forward to Michael leading the team and helping us achieve our goals,” he added.
Prior to his most recent role as a full-time consultant and contractor involving work as general manager, North America, for Grendene Global Brands, Doughtery, who is based out of Asics North America’s headquarters in Boston, held positions of increasing responsibility over 12 years with Clarks and New Balance.
“As a lifelong admirer of the brand, I have always appreciated ASICS’ innovative, functional, and stylish product. During my time in the industry, I have always been impressed with the brand’s thoughtful approach to product lifecycle management and distribution strategy,” said Dougherty, pointing to the company’s “commitment to community, sustainability, and fitness.”
Dougherty holds an MBA from Boston University and an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University.
Kontoor Brands
Wrangler and Lee owner Kontoor Brands named Pete Kidd as executive vice president and chief human resources officer, effective July 20.
Kidd is responsible for the company’s global human resources strategy and operations including total rewards, talent acquisition and retention, talent and organizational development, and HR information systems. He is also in charge of translating business strategy into actionable HR programs to fuel Kontoor’s high-performance and growth-mindset culture, overseeing the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, and elevating the denim company as an employer of choice for top talent. Kidd will report to CEO Scott Baxter.
True Religion
American denim and sportswear brand True Religion named Kristen D’Arcy as chief marketing officer. She will report to CEO Michael Buckley and be responsible for all aspects of marketing, including content creation, creative, brand, public relations, influencers, social media, partnerships and philanthropy.
D’Arcy joins True Religion amid the brand’s transformation to a DTC, digital-first company. She has nearly 20 years of marketing and e-commerce experience at fashion, specialty retail and beauty brands.
Kering
Kering’s board of directors co-opted Maureen Chiquet as an independent director for the remainder of Daniela Riccardi‘s term of office, expiring on the date of the shareholder meeting approving the financial statements for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31. She will join Kering’s board of directors in September. Chiquet has more than 35 years of experience in the fashion and luxury goods sector, including nine years as the first global CEO of Chanel.
The luxury house also announced that Marco Bizzarri, president and CEO of Gucci since 2015 and a member of Kering’s executive committee since 2012, will leave the company effective Sept. 23. Jean-François Palus, currently Kering Group’s managing director, has been appointed interim president and CEO of Gucci.
Next Level Apparel
Veteran-owned clothing brand Next Level Apparel announced the appointment of Torin Rea as the company’s new vice president of marketing. Rea will spearhead the blank apparel supplier’s marketing efforts, drive brand awareness and develop strategies to propel the company’s growth. He joins Next Level Apparel with experience in marketing, including brand development, digital marketing and customer acquisition.
Ponto Footwear
Sustainable footwear lifestyle brand Ponto Footwear has named Barry McGeough as brand president.
McGeough has experience with The North Face, Speedo, Merrell, Saucony, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and has held leadership roles at VF Corp., PVH, Google and Wolverine. Most recently, McGeough has focused on the advancement of new materials science and green-engineered solutions, enabling product circularity and digitizing the consumer experience.
The Ermenegildo Zegna Group
The Ermenegildo Zegna Group, a luxury group and owner of the Zegna and Thom Browne brands, has announced the appointment of Lelio Gavazza to the newly created position of CEO, Tom Ford Fashion, effective Sept. 18. Gavazza will report directly to Ermenegildo “Gildo” Zegna, chairman and CEO of Zegna Group, and will be part of the senior management of the group. In this role, Gavazza will be responsible for the end-to-end of the Tom Ford Fashion business, from collection development to merchandising, through production as well as retail and wholesale distribution.
Logistics
FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. appointed John W. Dietrich, formerly the CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide, to executive vice president and CEO, effective Aug. 1. Currently EVP and CEO Michael C. Lenz will transition out of his role on July 31 and will remain with the company as a senior advisor until Dec. 31 to facilitate the transition.
Jennifer L. Johnson, corporate vice president and principal accounting officer, is assuming an expanded role with the consolidation of the company’s international accounting teams into one global organization under her responsibility. Leslie M. Benners, senior vice president of finance and former CFO of FedEx Office and FedEx Services, is now leading the company’s sourcing and procurement efforts with a globally consolidated team. Claude F. Russ, currently COO of FedEx Dataworks and former CFO of FedEx Freight, is joining the corporate finance team as corporate vice president of finance transformation to provide oversight and accountability for the execution and measurement of enterprise financial objectives.
In their new and expanded roles, Johnson, Benners and Russ will report to Dietrich as well as other senior finance leaders overseeing areas that include treasury, tax, internal audit as well as financial planning and analysis.
Technology
Vtex
Global enterprise digital commerce platform Vtex appointed Silvia Mazzucchelli to its board of directors. Mazzucchelli has experience in the American market as a C-level executive for companies including Guess, Tom Shoes, American Apparel, ModCloth and the Collected Group. She is a senior advisor to retail and consumer practice at The Boston Consulting Group and serves on corporate boards. She will also serve as a member of the audit committee.
XY Retail
XY Retail, a provider of omnichannel retail solutions, announced the additions of Alberto Riva as chief revenue officer and Daniele Nizzero as director of solution strategy, EMEA.
Riva will be responsible for overseeing sales and strategic partnership efforts to help drive the company’s growth. Nizzero will lead and manage the solution strategy and consulting team in the EMEA region, developing and reinforcing relationships with customers and partners.
Textiles
Carbitex
Junus Khan, the founder of Carbitex, a maker of flexible carbon fiber composites, is stepping back into the role of company president. Khan spent the last five years laying the groundwork in Asia and working with partners and their factories to integrate Carbitex’s technology into commercial-ready products. The company also announced that Patrick Sinner has been named vice president of brand product development. Previously the head of footwear at SquareOne, Sinner has experience planning, designing and engineering products.
