New York City — J.Crew Group, Inc. has named James Brett as chief executive officer. Brett, an executive with more than 25 years of retail experience, most recently served as president of specialty home furnishing company West Elm.
This news comes on the heels of several executive promotions announced in May.
Brett will assume the CEO position this July and will also join the company’s board of directors. Millard Drexler will continue in his role as chairman. Michael J. Nicholson will remain as president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of J.Crew Group, Inc. and Libby Wadle will remain as president of Madewell.
“This is an exciting time for J.Crew as we continue to make significant changes to position our company for long term success,” says Drexler. “As chairman and an owner of the company, it is my responsibility to focus on the future of J.Crew and find the right leadership to execute on our strategic plans.”
“Jim has a proven track record of pushing for innovation and growing omni-channel brands,” continues Drexler. “I look forward to moving into my new role and assist Jim and the team in every way possible to help ensure a smooth and successful transition.”
Brett most recently served as president of West Elm, a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio, since 2010. During his tenure, Brett grew West Elm to become a $1 billion global brand. Prior to West Elm, Brett was the chief merchandising officer for the Urban Outfitters division of Urban Outfitters, Inc. He has also served in various merchandising roles at other retailers including Anthropologie, the J.C. Penney Company, Inc. and May Department Stores Company.
J.Crew Group, Inc. is an internationally recognized omni-channel retailer of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, shoes and accessories. As of June 5, 2017 the company operates 278 J.Crew retail stores, 116 Madewell stores, jcrew.com, jcrewfactory.com, the J.Crew catalog, madewell.com, and 178 factory stores (including 39 J.Crew Mercantile stores). For more information, visit www.jcrew.com.
SOURCE: J.Crew Group, Inc.