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.
June 1, 2021: Cole Haan has announced the appointment of Stephen Henderson as chief digital officer. The executive joins the company from Caleres, where he served as SVP of marketing and e-commerce. “As we look toward digital commerce expansion globally, Stephen will have a wide mandate to work across the entire Cole Haan enterprise to accelerate our digital growth agenda,” CEO Jack Boys said in a statement. Henderson’s role is effective immediately, and he will oversee all sites operated by international distributors, as well as Cole Haan USA, Japan and Canada.
June 1, 2021: Moncler has tapped a longtime Nike executive for the role of chief brand officer. Starting June 7, Gino Fisanotti — who served as the Swoosh’s first-ever brand creative officer and worked at the sportswear giant for 23 years — will take on the newly created position and report to chairman and CEO Remo Ruffini. He will also join the company’s strategic committee. In addition, chief marketing and operating officer Roberto Eggs — who has been with Moncler since 2015 — will move into the post of chief business strategy and global markets officer.
May 26, 2021: York Athletics Mfg. has made a pair of executive moves. The company announced that Greg Segel has assumed its VP of e-commerce role, and will be tasked with driving sales and profitability online. Prior to joining, Segel worked for ’47 Brand for roughly seven years. And Greg Cordeiro has joined the brand to lead footwear creative direction, design and development, and also will be tasked with influencing product marketing. His most recent position was head of footwear design at Huckberry, and prior to that he held roles at Clarks and BBC International.
May 25, 2021: Wolverine World Wide Inc. revealed a pair of key executive moves. The company promoted Isabel Soriano to the post of president of International and named Katherine Cousins as global brand president of Sperry. Soriano joined Wolverine Worldwide in 2018 as VP and managing director of EMEA after holding key roles at Vans, Timberland and other VF Corp. brands. With her promotion, she now oversees all international markets, including EMEA, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Canada. Separately, Wolverine tapped Cousins, who was most recently VP and general manager of Kodiak, Terra and Work Authority at VF, as the new head of Sperry. She succeeds Joelle Grunberg, who will be assisting with the transition and other special projects. Both Soriano and Cousins will report to Wolverine president Brendan Hoffman.
May 17, 2021: Brendon Babenzien has been named the new creative director of J.Crew Men’s. The designer — known as the co-founder of eco-conscious brand Noah and the former design director of Supreme — will work alongside CEO Libby Wadle and lead the evolution of its menswear line, effective immediately. “J.Crew has always been a part of my life — quietly, subtly in the background, slowly becoming the platform from which to build my personal style,” Babenzien said in a statement. “I’m excited to join the team and build a positive future that meets the interests of the thoughtful consumers that exist today, satisfying not just their sophisticated taste level but their demands for responsible business practices.” His first full collection for the brand is scheduled to debut in the second half of 2022.
May 12, 2021: Rothy’s has brought on Michal Russ as the brand’s SVP of technology. She previously served as VP of international ecommerce technology at Walmart. Prior to Walmart, Russ started her career as a first lieutenant in the Israeli military and transitioned to retail, having worked at Israeli ecommerce startup Tenengroup, as well as McKinsey & Company. In her new role, Russ will oversee Rothy’s overall tech strategy and work closely with her team to create the technological product experiences to deliver optimal digital experiences for both the customer and Rothy’s employees.
May 12, 2021: Genesco Inc. has announced the appointment of Parag Desai as SVP and chief strategy and digital officer. The executive previously served as SVP of strategy and shared services — a post he had held since December 2014. In the newly created role, Desai will spearhead the development of the retail group’s technology, logistics and analytics platforms. He will also help expand its consumer insights and customer relationship management capabilities, while serving as a member of the company’s management committee. “Parag has a record of significant accomplishment at Genesco, and I am confident he will continue to add tremendous value in his new role,” president and CEO Mimi Vaughn said in a statement.
May 11, 2021: Centric Brands LLC has made two new key hires: Sid Keswani, who joins as president, and Ruth Hartman, who has been added to the company’s board of directors. Keswani most recently served as president of North America at Pandora and brings more than two decades of experience across the retail, grocery and real estate industries. Separately, Hartman — currently an adviser with Bain & Co. — was the president of Lord & Taylor, where she oversaw digital, merchandising, stores and marketing. “As Centric Brands continues implementing our strategic growth initiatives, we are fortunate to add two leaders as accomplished as Sid and Ruth to our innovative and entrepreneurial team,” CEO Jason Rabin said in a statement.
May 10, 2021: Everlane has recruited a former Nike executive as its new global creative director, according to Retail Dive. Shu Hung, who spent more than seven years at the Swoosh and most recently was with Uniqlo, has been hired by Everlane to oversee its creative team. In a statement to Retail Dive, Hung said, “I’m looking forward to applying my design thinking to an organization that is clearly passionate about all aspects of the customer experience, from brand communication to products and services.”
May 7, 2021: Valentino has tapped a new CEO for its Japan and Korea businesses. Masumi Shinohara joins the Italian fashion house from Zegna Japan, where he served as president, as well as the LVMH-owned Berluti Japan, where he was the president, CEO and representative director. In his new role, Shinohara will work to expand Valentino’s presence in both countries, reporting to chief commercial officer Marco Giacometti.
May 6, 2021: Rockport, a division of Newton, Mass.-based The Rockport Group, has promoted Steve Holt to the position of brand president. He previously served as SVP of international at Rockport for the past four years, helping to grow its global presence. In his new role, Holt is responsible for all aspects of the brand’s daily operations and has been tasked with executing on areas of global opportunity, in addition to driving strategic development of KPIs. Gregg Ribatt, CEO of The Rockport Group, said in a statement, “This year marks Rockport’s 50th anniversary, and as we continue to position our brand strategy for another 50 years of success, we have no doubt that Steve is the right person to take Rockport to the next level. We’re excited for him to bring his deep industry knowledge, global perspective and strong track record of driving results to this new role.”
May 6, 2021: Puma has appointed two company veterans to new positions. Hubert Hinterseher, who has been with Puma for 16 years and most recently was its global director of financial controlling, will assume the CFO role. He will take over from Michael Lämmermann, who will retire after 28 years with Puma. And 10-year Puma vet Arne Freundt, who last was its regional GM of the EMEA region, will take over as CCO. Both appointments are effective June 1.
May 6, 2021: Direct-to-consumer athletic footwear brand York Athletics Mfg. has made changes to its board of directors. Travis York, the co-founder of York, was named as the board’s executive chairman. Additionally, Curtis Charles, the CEO of FFB Collaboration, has been added to the Boston-based company’s board.
May 5, 2021: Moda Operandi has hired former Neiman Marcus executive Jim Gold to be its CEO. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, the new chief — who has held an interim position at the online luxury fashion retailer — will join founder and chief brand officer Lauren Santo Domingo on the board of directors. “Connecting new and established designers with luxury consumers is what makes Moda special, and it’s what I am most passionate about,” Santo Domingo said in a statement to WWD. “Moda’s brand is strong. With Jim’s deep knowledge of luxury retail, and with a renewed strategic commitment to what makes Moda special, I am confident we will succeed.”
May 5, 2021: Tailored Brands has tapped three experienced retail executives for its leadership team: John Tighe, formerly president of Peerless Clothing and having served in various leadership positions at JCPenney, is now EVP and chief customer officer. In addition, Karla Gray, who spent 16 years at Nike, has assumed the role of EVP and chief stores officer, while Lowe’s veteran Tim Cooksey has joined the organization as SVP of real estate. “We are thrilled to welcome John, Karla and Tim to the Tailored Brands team — especially at a moment when we are seeing such positive momentum in our business and are poised for growth,” interim co-CEO Peter Sachse said in a statement.
May 5, 2021: New Balance has appointed Mathias Boenke as its SVP for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, and will be based at the company’s European headquarters in Amsterdam. Boenke held the brand’s country manager role for Germany from 2001 to 2006, and is set to return to New Balance in June. Most recently, he was the COO at sports retailer Intersport for Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Boenke will replace 25-year company veteran Fran Allen, who is currently in the role and will retire at the end of the year. “Fran’s strategic leadership drove significant sales growth for our North American and EMEA business during his impactful career at New Balance,” New Balance president and CEO Joe Preston said in a statement. “I want to thank Fran for his many years of service and dedication to our customers as well as his strong passion for charity and volunteerism.”
April 30, 2021: New Guards Group has tapped a new chief merchant. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, Olivier Germain — who spent three years in the same post at Balmain — is now tasked with developing all merchandising and product development strategies for the company’s fashion brands, including Heron Preston, Opening Ceremony, Palm Angels and Unravel Project, as well as the license of Off-White. Prior to Balmain, Germain served as chief product officer of Alexander McQueen and worldwide director of merchandising at Tom Ford.
April 29, 2021: Tapestry Inc. has appointed Scott Roe as its chief financial officer and head of strategy. The new exec — who joins the Stuart Weitzman parent after 25 years at VF Corp. — will hold responsibility for all finance functions as well as lead the company’s strategy and consumer insights teams, effective June 1. “As a leader, Scott is both dynamic and progressive and believes in soliciting diverse perspectives, while working to build and empower collaborative and high-performing teams,” CEO Joanne Crevoiserat said in a statement. “I am confident that Scott is the right leader and strategic business partner as we drive Tapestry’s next chapter of growth.” With Roe’s appointment, Andrea Shaw Resnick — who has held the role of interim CFO since July — will assume the newly created post of chief communications officer. In addition, current VP of investor relations Christina Colone will be promoted to global head of investor relations.
April 27, 2021: Samuel Sato, former head of Finish Line, is set to become president and CEO of Duluth Holdings Inc. on May 3. Sato will succeed founder Steve Schlecht, who has guided the company since 2019. “As the former CEO of publicly traded Finish Line before its merger with JD Sports, Sam has the demonstrated leadership, breadth of business experience and the core values we believe are critical to lead our brand into the future,” said Schlecht in a statement. “He has a track record of rolling up his sleeves and providing hands-on leadership—a quality that comes from a career dedicated to a team-first and customer-first mentality.” Sato began his career at Nordstrom, growing from a store sales associate to VP of corporate merchandising at the Seattle-based department store.
April 26, 2021: Kenzo creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista is stepping down. The contract between the label and the designer, who held the post for two years, will expire at the end of June. In a statement, he said, “I have been honored to serve this amazing house and the legacy of its founder, Kenzo Takada. I would like to thank my teams for their talent and dedication.” Oliveira Baptista took on the artistic role following the exit of Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, who founded Opening Ceremony. A successor at the Paris-based fashion house — owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton — has yet to be named.
April 23, 2021: Columbia Sportswear Co. has appointed Emily Rompala to the newly-created role of SVP, omni-planning and fulfillment operations. In the position, Rompala will be tasked with leading the company’s global omni-planning team across all brands, as well as lead its fulfillment operations team. She will report to Lisa Kulok, EVP, chief supply chain officer.
April 22, 2021: VF Corp. has tapped Matt Puckett for the role of EVP and CFO. The new financial chief — who succeeds longtime VF exec Scott Roe — will report to CEO Steve Rendle and serve on the executive leadership team. He recently marked his 20th anniversary at VF, which he joined in 2001 as a senior accountant in the finance department and where he held posts of increasing responsibility — most recently as VP of global financial planning and analysis. “Matt’s VF career has given him a broad range of experience in all facets of financial management, and he deeply understands our company and financial model from his experience working within our brands, our business units and across international markets,” Rendle said in a statement. “Matt is a clear example of VF’s robust succession planning approach, and there’s no one more qualified than him to serve in the CFO position as we pursue the next phase of the VF growth strategy.”
April 21, 2021: Vans has appointed Kristin Harrer as its global chief marketing officer. The new exec, who joins the brand from Dollar Shave Club and has more than two decades of marketing experience, is tasked with leading the company’s vision, strategy and global planning, as well as creative development and execution for marketing across its retail, brand and digital channels. She reports directly to global brand president Doug Palladini. “In addition to being an outstanding leader with a proven track record at other global brands, Kristin is a passionate and true brand expert in digital and direct-to-consumer experiences,” Palladini said in a statement. “As we continue to accelerate our digital transformative thinking, Kristin will spearhead our brand’s ability to connect with our global consumer base through the creation of meaningful and authentic consumer touch points.”
April 21, 2021: Mytheresa has named Heather Kaminetsky as its president of North America, effective June 1. In her new role, Kaminetsky — most recently the chief brand officer at M.Gemi — will be responsible for all Mytheresa customer-facing activities in the North American market, including personal shopping, communication and affiliate marketing. “The U.S. is an important growth market for Mytheresa,” CEO Michael Kliger said in a statement. “It is a game-changer for us to have a dedicated local team to make more consumers aware of our unique value proposition and to deliver the first-class shopping experience that our customers expect. Heather has proven in the past that she can scale brand awareness and a customer base for companies such as Net-a-Porter and Barneys New York.”
April 15, 2021: Coach parent Tapestry Inc. has announced the appointment of Todd Kahn to the role of brand president and CEO. The exec, who has held the posts on an interim basis since July, will be in charge of all aspects of the brand, reporting to Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat. Kahn joined Tapestry in January 2008 and has held a number of leadership roles within the organization. He started in the role of SVP, general counsel and secretary, as well as served in the positions of chief legal officer until March last year, company secretary until August, and president and chief administrative officer from May 2016 to the present. According to the retail group, which owns the Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman brands, Kahn has also led the “revenue-generating business units” at Coach since March.
April 14, 2021: Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake is stepping down from her role as CEO. The chief executive, who founded the online styling service a decade ago while she was a student at Harvard Business School, announced her departure in a letter to employees. She will transition to the role of executive chairperson of the board, effective Aug. 1. The San Francisco-based platform added in a statement that it has named president Elizabeth Spaulding to the top post upon Lake’s exit. Spaulding, who spent more than 20 years at Bain & Company prior to joining Stitch Fix, has also been elected to the board of directors.
April 14, 2021: Wolverine World Wide Inc. announced today that it has appointed Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to its board of directors, effective May 5. This year, Wilson-Thompson retired as EVP and global chief human resources officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. Her career also includes several leadership positions at Kellogg Company. Aside from Wolverine, she also serves on the Tesla Inc. board, as well as the board of directors for the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. “Kathleen has been associated with some of the largest consumer-focused businesses in the world, and we are excited to welcome her to our board of directors,” Wolverine World Wide Inc. chairman and CEO Blake Krueger said in a statement. “She brings a breadth of experiences to our Company, and her proven record of leading large global companies through complex and challenging environments will be instrumental in helping to drive Wolverine Worldwide’s Global Growth Agenda.”
April 13, 2021: Anthropologie has named Tricia Smith as its global CEO following the exit of Hillary Super, who stepped down on Friday after four years with the company. Smith joins the chain from apparel retailer Tilly’s, where she served as chief merchandising officer since 2019. Prior to that, she spent more than 26 years in merchandising roles at Nordstrom. In a statement, parent Urban Outfitters Inc. CEO Richard Hayne said, “She is an accomplished leader with extensive merchant experience. She understands the Anthropologie customer, and I’m confident she will successfully expand the brand’s equity and reach.”
April 12, 2021: Zadig & Voltaire has tapped Hélène Jessua as head of sustainable development. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, the new exec began her career at Carrefour, where she spent a decade in the sustainability division, and thenjumped to catalogue business Redcats, where she helped in the development strategies of more than a dozen brands. In 2014, she joined French ReFashion, and since 2017, she has served as an independent consultant to companies about corporate social responsibility issues. “Her mastery of environmental and social issues in supply chains, her 360-degree vision of matters linked to the evolution of consumption habits and her international culture allows us to write a new, ambitious chapter for the brand and align Zadig & Voltaire’s know-how with the concerns of our times,” said CEO Rémy Baume.
April 9, 2021: J.Crew Group has appointed four executives to its senior management team to boost its marketing, digital and sustainability initiatives. The company has named Levi Strauss & Co. VP of Human Resources Jose Davila as its chief people officer, while Danielle Schmelkin, formerly Madewell’s chief information officer, has taken on the same role at J.Crew. In addition, Madewell veterans Derek Yarbrough and Liz Hershfield have been tapped for the newly created positions of chief marketing officer and SVP of sustainability, respectively. All executives will report to CEO Libby Wadle, who said in a statement, “Jose, Danielle, Derek and Liz are proven leaders in their respective fields, share our core values and bring significant expertise, as well as a passion for our brands that will drive our business forward.”
April 9, 2021: Chiara Ferragni has joined Tod’s Group‘s board of directors. The influencer’s relationship with the brand began four years ago when together they created the #ChiaraLovesTods limited-edition capsule. In a statement, chairman Diego Della Valle said, “Chiara’s knowledge of the world of young people will certainly be extremely valuable. Together, we will try to build solidarity and support projects for those in need, raising awareness and involving the new generations more and more in these kind of operations.”
April 7, 2021: Vibram Corp. has made several changes to its executive management team, which it said is part of its long-term organizational strategy to align the business to drive growth. Tammy Vrahopoulos is the company’s VP of human resources, Nicola Beretta is now the VP of finance and Jay Steere is the VP of product creation and merchandising. The three will report to Vibram Corp. president and global chief brand officer Fabrizio Gamberini. Eric Rosen, who has spent almost 20 years with the company, will retire this month. “Eric’s contributions to Vibram are deeply significant and he’s helped drive results for many years. I’ve worked with him for almost three years and will miss him greatly.” Gamberini said in a statement. “We have a thoughtful succession strategy in place and have built a highly skilled, consumer-focused executive management team with the experience, acumen, brand knowledge, and Vibram brand values required to continue to build sustainable growth for Vibram, for the long-term.”
April 6, 2021: Saucony has appointed Fábio Tambosi to its chief marketing officer role, effective immediately. In this position, Tambosi will be tasked with strategic development and execution of the company’s global branding initiatives, and will report to Anne Cavassa, president of Saucony. (Additionally, he will join the brand’s senior leadership team.) Tambosi has more than 18 years of industry experience, and was most recently at Adidas where he was the global head of brand, planning and activation for the sports performance categories. Before Adidas, he had stints at Nike and Nokia.
April 6, 2021: Retailer Snipes USA has tapped Marty Badour, who has been with the company for eight years, to fill its EVP of retail role. Snipes said Badour was pivotal in the rebranding and integration of Kicks USA to Snipes USA, as well as the Mr. Alan’s Men’s Bootery acquisition, both occurring in 2019. With this new position, Snipes USA confirmed he will also become a member of the executive team and will continue to lead its field, operations, talent development, loss prevention and visual merchandising teams. Badour will report to Jim Bojko, president of Snipes. Before Snipes, Badour held leadership positions at The Jones Group, Foot Locker Inc. and Jimmy Jazz.
April 6, 2021: Phil Graves, who has roughly two decades of experience leading sustainability efforts, has secured the chief sustainability officer role at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. In the role, Graves will work closely with Johnny Morris, the founder and CEO Bass Pro Shops, to improve upon its sustainability efforts including manufacturing, supply chain and operations. Additionally, he will work with Bass Pro Shops senior director of conservation Bob Ziehmer to expand wildlife conservation and educational programs under the Johnny Morris Conservation Foundation. Graves has held roles at Patagonia, Deloitte and PWC prior to joining Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.
April 5, 2021: Ralph Lauren Corp. has hired Selfridges’ former digital fashion director, Jack Becht, as its creative director of agency, overseeing the Polo, Luxury, Lauren, Home and RL content studio divisions. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, he has more than a decade of experience in advertising, branded content and editorial. Becht, who reports to chief digital and content officer Alice Delahunt, succeeds SVP and creative director of concept and integration Nathan Copan, who departed the company at the end of March.
April 2, 2021: J.Crew Group is building out its senior leadership team as it embarks on a long-term strategic growth plan after emerging from bankruptcy. The company has named four new executives: Jose Davila as chief people officer; Danielle Schmelkin as chief information officer; Derek Yarbrough as chief marketing officer; and Liz Hershfield as SVP of sustainability. “Jose, Danielle, Derek and Liz are proven leaders in their respective fields, share our core values and bring significant expertise as well as a passion for our brands that will drive our business forward,” CEO Libby Wadle said in a statement. In addition, J.Crew has appointed former Nike exec Frits Dirk van Paasschen, Madison Park Ventures founder Anna Fieler and Slack chief people officer Nadia Rawlinson to its board of directors.
April 1, 2021: Heidi Cooley has been promoted to the post of SVP and chief marketing officer at Crocs. The new CMO joined the shoe brand as VP of global marketing in 2016 and became head of global marketing in 2020. “Under Heidi’s leadership, Crocs has ignited its brand presence around the globe, engaging and exciting more consumers than ever before through our inclusive ‘Come As You Are’ platform,” Crocs brand president Michelle Poole said in a statement. “We’re confident that Heidi is the right marketing leader to drive our mission to make everyone comfortable in their own shoes forward today and in the future.”
April 1, 2021: Columbia Sportswear has announced the retirement of SVP of emerging brands Doug Morse in the summer, following a 27-year career at the company. He began as a temp in the consumer department back in 1994 and subsequently advanced to positions such as GM in Canada, VP/chief business development officer and GM of LAAP distributors. He took on the additional role of managing the emerging brands portfolio and the Asia subsidiaries in 2017 before focusing on emerging brands in 2020. Succeeding Morse is Craig Zanon, who spent more than two decades at Nike, where he most recently served as VP and GM of global basketball. During his time at the Swoosh, he was also VP for U.S. Footwear and GM for the Americas. “Craig brings a wealth of experience that will help us continue the growth trajectory of Sorel, Mountain Hardwear and prAna,” chairman, president and CEO Tim Boyle said in a statement. “He will build on the brand-led, consumer focused strategy that we have been pursuing for the last several years.”
April 1, 2021: Texas-based Twisted X Global Brands has announced two changes to its leadership team. Lee Lemon has been promoted to VP of sales after previously serving as GM. In his new role, Lemon will be responsible for the Twisted X, Twisted X Work, CellSole and Tamarindo collections. CEO Prasad Reddy said in a statement, “What makes Twisted X special is that we prioritize our retailers instead of competing with them, giving them everything they need for success including the best products, education and support. We have full confidence in Lee to continue strengthening these strategic partnerships to further our growth.” Meanwhile, Monte Nelson has joined the firm as VP of Western and will lead sales efforts for all Western product under the Twisted X, Black Star and Wrangler Footwear brands. Nelson most recently was a senior sales executive at Justin Brands Inc.
