New York City — J.Crew Group has taken important steps to build out its leadership team in order to advance its long term strategic growth plan. The company has appointed four highly experienced retail industry leaders — Jose Davila, chief people officer; Danielle Schmelkin, chief information officer; Derek Yarbrough, chief marketing officer; and Liz Hershfield, senior vice president, sustainability — to its senior management team.
“I believe strong and relevant brands are customer-centric, community-minded, purpose-driven and powered through innovation, technology and a deeply collaborative culture,” says Libby Wadle, chief executive officer of J.Crew Group. “Jose, Danielle, Derek and Liz are proven leaders in their respective fields, share our core values, and bring significant expertise as well as a passion for our brands that will drive our business forward.”
- Davila brings 25 years of talent management and brand-building experience, as well as a deep knowledge of the retail industry to J.Crew Group. He most recently served as vice president of human resources for Levi Strauss & Co. Previously, he spent more than 10 years at Gap Inc.
- With more than 20 years of experience, Schmelkin will lead J.Crew Group’s digital transformation by maximizing data insights, increasing connectedness and interactivity with customers, driving innovation and fortifying IT architecture. She most recently served as chief information officer of Madewell.
- Yarbrough will be responsible for all marketing, creative and e-commerce initiatives for the J.Crew and Madewell brands. He brings over 20 years of experience to this newly created position. He spent the previous 8 years at Madewell where he played increasingly important roles, and most recently served as the brand’s CMO.
- In this newly created role, Hershfield will lead sustainability innovation for the J.Crew, Madewell and J.Crew Factory brands. She will focus on driving a company-wide sustainability agenda that will maximize positive impact and position the J.Crew Group as a leader in sustainable retail. She will continue to oversee Sourcing for Madewell as well as this new role. Hershfield brings over 25 years of experience and deep knowledge of sourcing and sustainability to the position.
These leaders are part of a management team that includes COO Michael Nicholson and CFO Vincent Zanna.
J.Crew Group is an internationally recognized omnichannel retailer of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, shoes and accessories. As of April 1, 2021, the company operates 152 J.Crew retail stores, 143 Madewell stores and 147 J.Crew Factory stores in nearly every state in the United States, and also maintains J.Crew, Madewell and J.Crew Factory websites. For more information visit www.jcrew.com.
SOURCE: J.Crew Group, Inc.