Brands
Guess Inc. announced that Victor Herrero, CEO and a member of the company’s board of directors, is leaving the company, effective Feb. 2.
Carlos Alberini, formerly president and chief operating officer of the company from 2000 to 2010, was appointed as the new CEO and a director of the company, effective upon his separation from his current employer. Alberini, after leaving the company, was co-CEO of Restoration Hardware until 2014, and a director on the Board of Restoration Hardware from 2010 until the present. From 2014 until now, Alberini has been the chairman and CEO of Lucky Brand.
The company also announced that Paul Marciano has agreed to remain as chief creative officer. His employment will be “at will.” During the transition, Maurice Marciano will be acting as interim CEO.
In the wake of Alberini’s departure, Lucky Brand has established an Office of the CEO, comprised of three Lucky Brand senior executives with significant operational and merchandising experience with the company. The are Nigel Kershaw, chief financial officer; Mike Relich, chief operating officer, and Lexi Tawes, acting chief product officer.
The Office of the CEO will manage the company’s operations as the board works to establish permanent leadership. In addition, Michael Griffin will continue to serve as an advisor to the company. Mr. Griffin has extensive apparel experience, including as a senior executive overseeing merchandising, design and wholesale at Lucky Brand from 2010 to 2015.
Head
Related Stories
Head promoted Julia Couperthwait to business manager for Sportswear North America in conjunction with the launch of Head Winter Sportswear in North America.
Couperthwait has been an integral member of a team that built the Head/Tyrolia brand to record heights in the U.S. In 2018, sales and market share for the Winter Sports Division doubled from 2012 levels. She will continue to manage marketing communications for Head Winter Sports Hardgoods as communications manager, creating synergies between the two divisions.
Couperthwait will work closely with Roman Stepak, vice president of Head Sportswear Global, based in the company’s Austrian headquarters. She will continue to be based out of Head/Tyrolia’s U.S. Winter Sports headquarters in Boulder, Colo.
The supervisory board of Puma created a dedicated board position for sourcing and appointed Anne-Laure Descours as chief sourcing officer and member of its management board.
Descours joined Puma in 2012 and has been overseeing the product development and sourcing activities of all global apparel and accessories for the Puma Group since then. Prior to Puma, she worked for international sourcing organizations, such as Li & Fung and Otto International, all based in Hong Kong. As chief sourcing officer, Descours will also be responsible for sustainability within the Puma Group. She will continue to be primarily based in Hong Kong.
Also, Puma’s chief operating officer, Lars Radoor Sørensen, has stepped down to pursue other interests. Lars joined PUMA in 2013 and was appointed managing director in 2014. As chief operating officer, he was in charge of sourcing, IT and logistics. IT and logistics will now be reporting to Puma chief financial officer Michael Lämmermann.
Under Armour Inc. appointed Tchernavia Rocker as its new chief people and culture officer. Rocker will lead all facets of the company’s human resources function.
As a direct report to chairman and CEO Kevin Plank, she will partner with the executive leadership team to advance and execute Under Armour’s people and culture strategy. Rocker joins Under Armour from Harley-Davidson Inc. where she spent more than 18 years in HR leadership roles, most recently as the vice president and chief human resources officer.
Delivering Good
Delivering Good Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing new, quality necessities to families facing the challenges of poverty and disaster, named Andrea Weiss as board chair. Weiss will work closely with Lisa Gurwitch, president and CEO of Delivering Good, as the organization extends its core mission of providing new items such as clothing, coats, shoes, backpacks, home goods and infant supplies to families and individuals who do not have the ability to purchase them.
Delivering Good, formerly K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, has since 1985 distributed more than $1.8 billion in donated product through its network of community partners. Weiss succeeds Allan Ellinger, who cofounded Fashion Delivers and served as Delivering Good’s Chairman for several years. He will continue to serve on the organization’s board of directors.
Technology
eShopWorld
Cross-border commerce firm eShopWorld appointed Ray Thorpe to the newly created role of chief information security officer (CISO) as part of its ongoing commitment to data security and risk management.
As CISO, Thorpe will be responsible for eShopWorld’s overall information security strategy. Prior to joining eShopWorld, Thorpe was a senior manager at global standards organization BSI, where he provided advisory and auditing services regarding information security, data protection, digital risk management, governance and compliance to some of the world’s largest organizations.
Established in 2010, eShopWorld’s core e-commerce solution connects premium brands with consumers in more than 200 countries. Headquartered in Ireland, eShopWorld has offices in Ireland, the U.S., Singapore and the Netherlands.
Trade
Li & Fung
Li & Fung Ltd. appointed Joseph Phi, currently president of LF Logistics, as group president to lead the company’s Supply Chain Solutions operating groups, including business development.
Phi will continue as president of LF Logistics and to serve on the board of directors of Li & Fung. He will report to group CEO Spencer Fung.
Phi succeeds Marc Compagnon, who has served as group president and executive director of Li & Fung Ltd. since July 2014 and has moved to the Fung Group as senior advisor, while remaining on the board of Li & Fung Ltd. as a non-executive director. Fung Group is the major shareholder of Li & Fung.
Phi joined Li & Fung in 1999 and was previously executive director of Integrated Distribution Services Group from 2004 until its acquisition by Li & Fung in 2011.
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg announced that Kristine Pirnia has joined the international trade, customs, and export law firm to lead its export controls and sanctions practice from the Washington, D.C., office.
Most recently, Pirnia served as vice president and deputy general counsel for global trade controls for an international company. She has expertise in compliance and investigation support for export control laws and regulations in the U.S. and overseas.
Textiles
Applied DNA Sciences
Applied DNA Sciences Inc. appointed Stephen Birkhold to the company’s strategic advisory board and retained him as a consultant to assist the company with market penetration in the fashion, luxury apparel and accessories markets. Birkhold is a 30-year veteran of the fashion industry and is the former CEO of Bebe Stores, Lacoste, Diesel and Earl Jeans, along with a 10-year tenure at VF Corp. working with Lee Jeans and Nautica Jeans.
Under the terms of Birkhold’s consulting agreement, he will spearhead the development of a new sales, marketing and go-to-market strategy for the company’s technology in the fashion, luxury apparel and accessories markets. Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, and product genotyping.