Brands
Under Armour
Under Armour Inc. announced that Patrik Frisk will step down as president and CEO, and as a member of the board of directors, effective June 1.
The board has initiated a comprehensive internal and external search process to identify a permanent president and CEO. Until a successor is named, the board appointed Colin Browne, the company’s chief operating officer (COO), as interim president and CEO, also effective June 1. To support the transition, Frisk, who joined Under Armour in 2017, will remain with Under Armour as an advisor through Sept. 1.
Browne has been COO since 2020 and oversees supply chain, global planning, sustainability, information technology, enterprise data management, commercial optimization, go-to-market strategy and distribution capabilities.
Deckers
Deckers Brands announced that after seven years leading the Hoka and Teva brands, Wendy Yang was stepping down from her role as president of performance lifestyle at the end of the month.
Stefano Caroti, president of omnichannel, will assume Yang’s responsibilities on an interim basis while the company conducts a leadership search. Yang will remain with the company in a consulting role through Aug.15.
Deckers Brands’ portfolio includes UGG, Koolaburra, HOKA, Teva and Sanuk. Deckers Brands products are sold in more than 50 countries and territories through select department and specialty stores, company-owned and operated stores, and select online stores, including company-owned websites.
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PF Flyers and KADA
Boston-based entrepreneur Kassia Davis appointed John Schweitzer as chief financial officer (CFO) across her two brands, KADA– a new clothing brand featuring elevated essentials for the modern woman, and American sneaker brand PF Flyers.
Schweitzer spent nearly two decades at Nike Inc., where he held numerous domestic and international roles such as CFO and CEO at Hurley International, as well as CFO at Converse.
Davis acquired PF Flayers in 2021. KADA is a Boston-based clothing brand founded by entrepreneur Davis.
Retail
Carter’s
Carter’s Inc. appointed Hilary Duff as its first chief mom officer for the Carter’s brand.
As part of a long-term partnership, the actor will work directly with Carter’s as a parent consultant and creative director, designing two limited-time-only collections and serving as a reliable resource for parents. Duff will also curate must-have shopping guides with tips and tricks for moms and share relatable parenting content.
The first Hilary Duff x Carter’s collection will be available beginning early Fall on carters.com and in Carter’s stores, with a second collection to follow in early 2023.
Carter’s owns the Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh brands, both sold in leading department stores, national chains and specialty retailers domestically and internationally. They are also sold through nearly 1,000 company-operated stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico and online at carters.com, oshkosh.com, cartersoshkosh.ca and carters.com.mx.
Kohl’s
Chief merchant Doug Howe and chief marketing officer Greg Revelle resigned from Kohl’s, the department store retailer announced.
CEO Michelle Gass said the Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-based chain sees the departures as an “opportunity to identify new talent to enhance our capabilities and really help us drive the next phase of our growth with some fresh thinking.”
In the wake of the executive departures, Ron Murray, executive vice president and general merchandising manager, will take on the interim role of chief merchant, and Christy Raymond, marketing executive vice president of customer insights, analytics and engagement, will serve as interim chief marketing officer.
RILA
The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) promoted Austen Jensen to executive vice president of government affairs.
Jensen joined RILA in 2016 to handle the payments portfolio for RILA, leading retail efforts to promote transparency, innovation and competition in the payment ecosystem. He is also responsible for financial services issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve and other key regulators.
Now, his role has expanded to include environmental and sustainability issues, which have risen in importance for retailers. Austen also leads the government affairs team that advocates for workforce policy, privacy, trade, tax, competition and innovation. Additionally, he is chair of RILA’s Retail Leaders PAC.
Fashion
CFDA
Tom Ford, who has served as chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) since June 2019, will be ending his three-year term on May 31.
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb will assume the duties of interim chair through Dec. 31. In this position, he will remain accountable to the board with board oversight. The board’s current officers–vice Chair Tracy Reese, secretary Vera Wang and treasurer Stan Herman–will remain in place for the remainder of the year.
The board unanimously elected Tory Burch, Thom Browne and Aurora James to the board, effective June 1. The board will vote on a new chairperson in the fall to start in January in alignment with CFDA’s fiscal calendar.
Textiles
Spinnova
Spinnova appointed Teemu Lindberg as executive vice president of production scaling and a member of the management team.
This new role leads Spinnova’s fiber production scaling and new factory projects globally. Lindberg will join Spinnova at the latest on Aug. 15 and will report to CEO Janne Poranen.
He joins Spinnova from UPM Kymmene, where he acted as refining director in the UPM Biorefining business from 2016 to 2022 and before that, in several production and technology management and specialist roles in the UPM Biofuels business from 2010 to 2016.
Based in Finland, Spinnova has developed breakthrough technology for making textile fiber out of wood or leather, textile or agricultural waste, without harmful chemicals.
Trade
Federal Trade Commission
Alvaro Bedoya was sworn in as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
President Joe Biden named Bedoya to a term that expires on Sept. 25, 2026. Bedoya was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 11.
Bedoya was founding director of the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown University Law Center, where he is currently a visiting professor of law. He previously served as chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law.
The FTC works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers.