Levi Strauss & Co. welcomed a new member to its board of directors to help advance the company’s direct-to-consumer plans announced earlier this month, when CEO Chip Bergh highlighted a “clear opportunity” to connect one-on-one with customers.
Elliott Rodgers, currently the chief information officer of Ulta Beauty, Inc., holds more than 10 years of retail experience that Levi’s believes is crucial to its long-term strategy.
“Elliott has deep knowledge of ecommerce, digital transformations and how to drive operational excellence in today’s omnichannel supply chain,” said Stephen C. Neal, chair of the board of Levi Strauss & Co. “His expertise in all of these areas will be invaluable as we focus on direct-to-consumer and continue to look for innovative ways to get our products to our consumers when, where and how they want them.”
Before Ulta, Rodgers was director of operations at Target, where he was responsible for the retailer’s e-commerce website and fulfillment operations, as well as its omnichannel supply chain pilot programs. His experience stretches through all areas of the supply chain, including retail, financial services and logistics positions within Target, Citibank and the U.S. Army.
“I am honored to join the board at Levi Strauss & Co., a company I’ve long admired as a leader of industry and culture,” said Rodgers, who holds a B.S. in political science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. “I hope to complement the strength of the current board of directors and management team with my experience and passion as we all work toward the company’s continued success.”
Rodgers joins the group following Levi’s pledge to appoint a Black leader to its board of directors and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. In November, the company named Elizabeth A. Morrison chief diversity, inclusion and belonging officer tasked with driving change throughout the company—starting with its hiring processes.
Coupled with the appointment of Morrison and Rodgers, the company also committed to establishing a candidate pool of at least 50 percent minorities. Levi’s also pledged to remain accountable and present annual updates on employee demographics and diversity statistics and publish wage equity audits every other year.
