April 29, 2019: Sustainable shoe brand Rothy’s has appointed the former interim CEO of Charlotte Russe, Dayna Quanbeck, as the brand’s first full-time CFO. In her new role, Quanbeck will lead international finance, accounting, tax and treasury teams at the San Francisco-based company. Prior to the appointment, Quanbeck also served as VP of finance and CFO at Charlotte Russe, where she played a key role in the acquisition of Peek Kids, as well as in the restructuring and recent sale of both brands. Quanbeck began her career in public accounting before joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch as an investment banker focused on the consumer & retail industry. She joins Rothy’s predominantly female leadership team, where positions such as president and COO, director of production and director of merchandising, are all held by women.
April 29, 2019: Swedish brand Vagabond Shoemakers is stepping up its American presence with the naming of Paul Fleming as VP for North America. Most recently, Fleming co-founded Fliteless, a line of men’s performance dress shoes. Prior to Fliteless, he helped build Norwegian lifestyle brand Swims, now part of Centric Brands.
April 26, 2019: Versace has named Arnaud Bazin to the new role of senior VP of collection merchandising, according to FN’s sister publication WWD. Since 2013, the executive has served as managing director of leather goods, accessories and shoes at Christian Dior Couture. The position, which takes effect on May 2, will have Bazin manage a range of product lines and report to Versace CEO Jonathan Akeroyd.
April 24, 2019: J.C.Penney‘s longtime head of menswear, James Starke, has left the company and been replaced by Jeff Useforge, reports FN’s sister publication WWD. The executive takes on the title of SVP and general merchandise manager of men’s and children’s, overseeing the retailer’s private and national brands. He boasts more than 30 years of experience in the industry, with roles at Mercantile Department Stores, Saks, Bon-Ton and Kohl’s.
April 23, 2019: Following longtime CEO Thomas Kingsbury’s departure from the role, Burlington Stores Inc. has announced the appointment of Michael O’Sullivan. The executive previously served as president and COO of Ross Stores Inc. He joins the team in mid-September, when he also becomes a member of the company’s board. (Kingsbury held the top role for more than a decade and will continue to support Burlington as executive chairman of its board of directors during the transition.)
April 22, 2019: Saucony announced the appointment of Shawn Hoy as its VP of global product today. He will assume the role effective immediately. Hoy will be responsible for guiding the brand’s global brand footwear and apparel strategies, which include design, development and product innovation, and will report directly to Saucony president Anne Cavassa. Prior to joining Saucony, Hoy held several strategic planning and senior product roles at Nike including soccer footwear product director.
April 18, 2019: Rack Room Shoes has appointed business and information technology veteran Brian Minnix to the post of chief information officer. He succeeds Dale Patterson who is retiring after 25 years of service. Most recently, Minnix served as chief strategy and technology officer for CompuCom, and held management positions at Attune Consulting and IBM. His footwear experience includes a senior management position with the former Brown Shoe Co., in addition to working in store operations and merchandising at Belk.
April 17, 2019: C&J Clark Ltd. has announced that Tom O’Neill will be retiring as chairman and non-executive director at the conclusion of the company’s annual general meeting on May 3 after serving on the board of directors for 15 years. Succeeding him will be Stella David, who will assume the role of chairman. David served as interim CEO from June 25, 2018, until March 11, 2019, when she was succeeded by Giorgio Presca. She was appointed to the board as an independent non-executive director in March 2012. Her background includes management positions in the alcoholic beverage and cruise industries.
April 11, 2019: J.Crew Group has named Michael J. Nicholson as interim CEO. The executive currently serves as its president and chief operating officer, filling a role that has remained empty since the departure of Jim Brett last fall. The company is also reportedly mulling an IPO of its Madewell business, which could be completed in the second half of this year, according to FN’s sister publication WWD.
April 11, 2019: Footwear Unlimited Inc. has announced five new members to its team. Brian Brown has been named director of distribution and logistics. His career includes management positions at Venture Stores and Amazon. Angel Ilagan has been named EVP marketing and will also serve as a member of the company’s executive committee. Prior to his appointment, he served as president and CEO of Bridgestone Golf. To build on the company’s merchandising and marketing strategies, Jodie Johnson has been named EVP of merchandising and strategy and will also be a member of the executive committee. Her background includes executive positions at JCPenney.
April 9, 2019: Fila North America has named Jennifer Estabrook as the company’s new president. Estabrook had been serving as acting president since the death of previous president, Jon Epstein, on Feb. 15 following heart surgery. Estabrook is the first female president in the brand’s history. A veteran of Fila North America and its affiliates since 2005, Estabrook previously served as COO of the company and as a member of the board of managers and head of global licensing for Fila Luxembourg S.à.r.l. Prior to those roles, she was EVP of business operations of Fila North America. All divisions and departments of Fila North America will now report to Estabrook.
April 9, 2019: Parisian men’s brand Editions M.R has named Louis Wong its first creative director, FN’s sister publication WWD reports. The designer, who departed A.P.C. last month, joined the ready-to-wear company that same month and will present his first collection for the brand during Paris Fashion Week Men’s in June.
April 5, 2019: Hibbett Sports Inc. announced that Scott Bowman, SVP and CFO, has resigned to pursue another opportunity. The resignation is effective April 26. Bowman, who had been with the firm as CFO for more than six years, said he accepted an opportunity that puts him closer to his family.
April 8, 2019: The Webster has promoted Laurent Malecaze to the position of CEO and appointed Stephane Jaspar as the company’s new chief brand officer. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, both executives will be based in New York and report directly to founder, creative director and former CEO Laure Hériard Dubreuil. Malecaze joined The Webster in 2015 as chief operating officer and was named president last year. Jaspar, on the other hand, boasts more than 20 years of experience in the fashion and entertainment industries — most recently working as chief marketing officer at Stella McCartney.
April 3, 2019: C. & J. Clark Limited has appointed three new non-executive directors. Prior to their appointments Stephen Bolton was most recently group controller at Diageo, and Victor Herrero was CEO and director of Guess Inc. Peter Clark, who joined in November, is currently managing director of Cannon House Partners, a U.S.-based investment firm.
April 2, 2019: Isabelle Allouch has been named CEO of Sandro, whose parent company, SMCP Group, also owns Maje and Claudie Pierlot. The executive headed the latter brand for five years and will be replaced by Jean-Baptiste Dacquin, who led the group’s human resources team for seven years. Allouch takes the helm following the departure of Jean-Philippe Hecquet, who was appointed CEO of Lanvin in August.
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