Retail
Inditex
The board of directors of Inditex, at the initiative of executive chairman Pablo Isla and founder Amancio Ortega, and following the proposal of the Nomination Committee, approved the appointment of Marta Ortega Pérez as chairwoman of the group, as a proprietary director, effective April 1.
Óscar García Maceiras, former general counsel and secretary of the board, was appointed CEO of Inditex. José Arnau Sierra remains as deputy chairman of the board. With this, the board completes the generational handover process initiated in 2011 with the replacement of Amancio Ortega as chairman of Inditex. The appointments will be presented for ratification at the next annual general meeting.
Isla led the company for 17 years, first as deputy chairman and CEO since 2005 and, from 2011, as executive chairman. He will continue as executive chairman until March 31.
Carlos Crespo, CEO since July 2019, was appointed chief operating officer, and managing director of operations, sustainable and digital transformation of Inditex. Javier Monteoliva, head of legal at Inditex and deputy secretary of the board, was appointed general counsel and secretary of the board.
Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, with eight brands–Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterqüe–selling in 216 markets through its online platform or its 6,654 stores in 96 markets.
Parachute
Parachute, a multi-category lifestyle brand, appointed retail industry veteran Drew Sheriff in the newly created role of chief commercial officer (CCO).
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Sheriff will lead planning, development and execution of strategic efforts around Parachute’s growing physical retail presence, and head the brand’s customer service, trade and home care operations. As CCO, Sheriff’s primary areas of focus will include retail, trade and customer service. Retail efforts will include oversight of retail expansion, customer acquisition and store design, as well as management and operational development in stores. On the trade side, he will be tasked with building a larger team to engage trade clientele and uncover new opportunities to thoughtfully expand Parachute’s offerings. Additionally, Sheriff will be responsible for continuing the company’s customer service operations and scaling the program to serve Parachute’s expanding customer base at all sales touch points.
Prior to joining Parachute, Sheriff worked for Amazon, where he oversaw the company’s physical store operations and spearheaded the development and launch of omnichannel programs in physical retail, including store pickup options, new payment methods and digital price tags.
Parachute products are designed in Los Angeles and responsibly manufactured by expert craftspeople around the globe using premium quality materials. Parachute was founded in 2014, offering a curated assortment of bedding. The brand has since released its own mattress and expanded into categories throughout the home, including bath, apparel, décor and furniture. Parachute operates 12 retail storefronts across the U.S. and recently launched in Canada.
Express
The board of directors of fashion apparel retailer Express Inc. named Antonio J. Lucio as a Class III director.
Lucio is a seasoned marketing executive with nearly four decades of experience in the consumer and technology industries. He is the founder and principal of 5S Diversity and an executive fellow at the Yale University School of Management.
Express operates more than 500 retail and outlet stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, the express.com online store and the Express mobile app. Express Inc. is comprised of the brands Express and UpWest.
Brands
VF Corp.
VF Corp. appointed Nina Flood to the newly created position of president, Global Packs–Eastpak, JanSport and Kipling.
Flood will be based at the headquarters of VF International, in Stabio, Switzerland. She will report to Martino Scabbia Guerrini, executive vice president of VF and president of EMEA. Flood most recently served as president of Eastpak.
Together under one organization, the Eastpak, JanSport and Kipling brands will work together to leverage synergies across the enterprise while also ensuring that each brand maintains its independent character and identity. The Eastpak and Kipling teams will remain headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, and the JanSport team will continue to be headquartered in Denver.
Delta Apparel
Delta Apparel Inc., a provider of core activewear and lifestyle apparel products, announced that its board of directors has appointed Simone Walsh as the company’s vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.
Deborah Merrill submitted her resignation, but has agreed to continue working with the company on an orderly transition of her responsibilities to Walsh through Jan. 22. Walsh most recently served as vice president and deputy controller of Novelis Inc. since September 2020.
Delta Apparel is a vertically integrated, international apparel company that designs, manufactures, sources, and markets activewear and lifestyle apparel products under the primary brands of Salt Life, Soffe and Delta. The company is a market leader in the direct-to-garment digital print and fulfillment industry, bringing DTG2Go technology and innovation to the supply chain of its customers.
Playboy
Playboy, a lifestyle brand owned by PLBY Group Inc., announced an expansive collaboration for multi-platinum singer, entrepreneur and social activist Cardi B as Playboy’s first creative director in residence.
In the role, she will provide artistic direction across co-branded fashion and sexual wellness merchandise collections, digital editorial and experiential activations. In addition, Cardi B will serve as the founding creative director and a founding member of Playboy’s upcoming creator-led platform, Centerfold.
National Safety Apparel
National Safety Apparel named Mike Enright president following the acquisition of Illinois-based Enespro, where he was president and and CEO.
Enespro is an emerging leader in electrical personal protective equipment (PPE). National Safety Apparel is designs and manufactures industrial safety apparel and military apparel, and provides industrial and safety garments for wearers in the electrical and gas utilities, steel mills and aluminum foundries, glass plants, construction, manufacturing and the armed forces.
Technology
Verifyt
NetVirta, creator of Verifyt, an app that includes 3D foot and full body scanning, announced a strategic business advisory board made up of executive from retail, fashion and technology.
NetVirta’s advisory board members are Jeff Kantor, president, JAK consulting; E.C. “Ned” Frederick, founder of the Nike Sports Research Lab and currently EIC of Footwear Science and his company, Exeter Research; Jose Chan, vice president of planning at LVMH, and Bjorn Bengtsson, chief merchandising officer at Untuckit.
Already established in the medical industry, helping thousands of clinicians in 13 countries to 3D scan patients to obtain custom-fit orthoses and prostheses, NetVirta now enables apparel, footwear and sports equipment brands to personalize the fit of their products.
Caja Robotics
Caja Robotics, a leader in flexible robotic goods-to-person solutions for order fulfillment, announced that Dr. Christian E. Baur, formerly CEO of Swisslog, has joined the company as senior advisor.
Following a successful rollout of Caja’s warehouse robotic solution in the U.S. and responding to a growing demand for automation in the EU, Baur will support building a strong network of clients and partners to fortify the company’s presence in Europe.
Caja’s flexible solution operates in different market segments with adaptations to address their specific needs, such as for footwear, fashion, apparel or online grocery.