Textiles
PrimaLoft Inc. named industry veteran Jim Frazier as its new senior vice president of global marketing.
Frazier will oversee global business development, product positioning and brand building across multiple industry segments.
Frazier most recently served as vice president of product for United Sports Brands, a collection of several brands including Nathan Sports, Shock Doctor, McDavid, Cutters and XO Athletic. Previously, he was director of product development at JDK Design, providing product design services for brands such as Burton Snowboards, Patagonia and Nike.
Frazier also boasts a track record of athletic achievement, with stints on the U.S. Running Biathlon National Team, Biathlon World Cup Team and United States Biathlon Team.
PrimaLoft, an advanced material technology company based in Latham, N.Y., also has offices in Munich and Xiamen, China. PrimaLoft performance products are used in outdoor and fashion brands.
Cotton Incorporated, the research and promotion company for U.S. cotton, announced that Dr. Gaylon Morgan will be joining its staff as research director for agricultural and environmental research.
In this role, Morgan will focus on weed and weed management research. Cotton Inc. said Morgan joins the company at time when weed control and emerging diseases are the top two threats that face the U.S. cotton industry, and research is needed to address these threats that continue to demand increased attention.
Morgan’s research on cotton agronomy, weeds and diseases has been published and referenced extensively in numerous scholarly reports and industry publications. He was honored as the Beltwide Cotton Specialist of the Year in 2016 by Bayer Crop Sciences, and is also a three-time recipient of the Superior Service Award by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Before joining Cotton Inc., Morgan worked as a professor and state extension cotton specialist in the Department of Soil & Crop Sciences at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at Texas A&M University.
Retail
Christopher & Banks
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Christopher & Banks Corp. announced that Rachel Endrizzi joined the company as senior vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO).
Endrizzi joins Christopher & Banks following 15 years at Regis Corp., where she most recently served as CMO, overseeing the integrated marketing, brand management and communications strategy for the beauty salons and cosmetology firm.
Christopher & Banks is a Minneapolis-based national specialty retailer featuring privately branded women’s apparel and accessories. The company operates 456 stores in 44 states consisting of 313 MPW stores, 80 outlet stores, 33 Christopher & Banks stores and 30 stores in its women’s plus size clothing division CJ Banks. It also operates the christopherandbanks.com e-commerce website.
Secoo
Secoo Holdings appointed Regina Szeto as Secoo vice president of brands, international public relations and marketing.
A former LVMH and experienced global marketing executive, Szeto has joined Secoo Group to further strengthen the positioning and marketing of Secoo as a leading luxury e-commerce platform in China.
Szeto was formerly senior vice president of global advertising and marketing at Calvin Klein Inc. before joining the LVMH group in Shanghai as regional group media director for China and Asia Pacific.
She will incorporate more fashion resources into international brand marketing that provides high quality and empowered brand image solutions, raising Secoo’s brand image on a global level and expanding its international resources.
J.Crew
J.Crew Group Inc. named Billy May as chief customer officer for the J.Crew Brand, effective July 15.
As chief customer officer, May will lead customer-facing aspects of the business and be responsible for advancing J.Crew’s digital transformation across marketing, loyalty, stores and e-commerce. He will report to Michael J. Nicholson, interim CEO.
May was most recently CEO of Sur La Table, a privately held retailer based in Seattle. Previously, he was senior vice president at Abercrombie & Fitch, where he led marketing, direct-to-consumer and corporate development globally.
Happy Returns
Happy Returns, a provider of return and logistics solutions for retailers, appointed Glenn McMahon as chief revenue officer (CRO).
As the company’s first CRO, McMahon will lead Happy Returns’ sales, account management and business development teams, and be responsible for continuing the rapid growth at the company.
McMahon was most recently CEO of St. John Knits and led the company’s rapid scaling and embrace of new distribution channels. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Dolce & Gabbana, Liz Claiborne and Giorgio Armani.
Rue21
Rue21 named three new additions to its leadership team.
Brian Rogers has joined the fast-fashion retailer as senior vice president and chief human resources officer, responsible for directing all of the people functions of the company.
Rogers will report to CEO Michael C. Appel. He comes to Rue21 from Ascena Retail Group, serving most recently as senior vice president of human resources corporate.
Robert Brous joined the company as vice president e-commerce and digital. Also reporting to Appel, Brous is responsible for leading a team focused on managing all digital and e-commerce growth initiatives. Brous was most recently senior director of e-commerce at Spencer Gifts’ Spirit Halloween.
Michael Cingolani joined Rue21 as vice president of guys merchandising, responsible for developing and implementing merchandise strategy for all merchandise categories within guys. He reports to Karen Pinney, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer. Cingolani joins rue21 from Tillys, where he was division merchandising manager for men’s and boys’ apparel.
Rue21 operates 698 stores in 45 states and online at rue21.com.
Brands
Darn Tough Vermont
Darn Tough Vermont, a U.S. manufacturer of premium performance outdoor and lifestyle socks, hired Matthew Jacobs as sustainability manager.
In this first role dedicated entirely to sustainability at the company, Jacobs will lead efforts toward enhancing sustainable practices for the Northfield, Vt.-based sock maker across all departments, working with customers and suppliers toward future sustainability goals, and supporting the brand’s strong focus on community development.
Inside the company, Jacobs will work with the Darn Tough team to lead a comprehensive approach to sustainability, including reducing environmental impact and improving supply chain efficiencies. It also includes furthering the brand’s commitment to the people behind the brand, some of whom have worked at Cabot Hosiery Mills for generations.
Bottega Veneta
Kering appointed Bartolomeo Rongone as CEO of Bottega Veneta, effective Sept. 1. Rongone will report to François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, and will be a member of the company’s executive committee.
He succeeds Claus-Dietrich Lahrs, who has taken a personal decision to leave to get closer to his family and to take on a new entrepreneurial challenge.
Rongone was previously chief operating officer of Yves Saint Laurent with responsibilities for ready-to-wear, leather goods and shoes, as well as global retail operations and client engagement. As CEO of Bottega Veneta, his mission will be to realize the full potential of the new creative force that has been driving the Italian company since 2018.
Under Armour Inc. appointed Sean Eggert as its new senior vice president of global sports marketing, reporting to chief marketing officer Alessandro de Pestel.
Eggert joins Under Armour from Red Bull, where he spent the past 11 years building the Red Bull brand through an innovative sports marketing approach. Prior to that, Eggert worked in a variety of sports and entertainment roles for Gatorade, Publicis and Palace Sports & Entertainment.
Tapestry
Tapestry Inc., which owns the Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman accessories and lifestyle brands, appointed Joanne C. Crevoiserat as chief financial officer (CFO), effective Aug. 1.
Crevoiserat joins from Abercrombie & Fitch Co., where she served as executive vice president and chief operating officer from February 2017 to this month. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Fitch, she served in a number of senior management roles at Kohl’s Inc.
Crevoiserat replaces Kevin Wills, who departed from Tapestry in February. Andrea Shaw Resnick, who has held the position of Interim CFO since that time, will continue as global head of investor relations and corporate communications.
Ipsos
Ipsos, a research and insights organization for brands, appointed Joseph DeVeny to head of U.S. Innovation.
DeVeny will lead one of the largest Innovation practices in North America, overseeing a team of nearly 100 experts across the U.S. The team will harness Ipsos’ validated innovation frameworks, as well as cutting-edge behavioral and neuroscience techniques, to guide clients from the earliest stages of ideation through to the development of fully fledged products and services designed to resonate with real consumer needs and drive business growth.
DeVeny brings more than 15 years of global insights experience spanning innovation, brand and market strategy research. He previously held roles within Ipsos’ Innovation and Market Strategy Understanding practices in Russia and the U.S.
Kontoor Brands
The board of directors of Kontoor Brands Inc., which owns denim brands Wrangler, Lee and Rock & Republic, named Rich Williams, CEO of Groupon, as a director.
Williams will serve on the Talent and Compensation Committee of Kontoor’s board. He has served as Groupon’s CEO and a member of its board since November 2015.