San Francisco — Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has made a series of strategic leadership changes designed to improve the company’s speed and agility, and further its commitment to consumers. These actions will streamline decision-making, drive operational excellence and align the company’s structure with its strategic priorities.
“Over the past year, we’ve made bold moves to transform Levi Strauss & Co. into a world-class denim lifestyle retailer, and we’re seeing the results,” says Michelle Gass, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. “We believe success is built on clarity of purpose and the ability to adapt, and that’s exactly what we’re doing — aligning our structure with our strategy to drive sustainable, profitable growth. We have built a team that is agile, focused and ready to execute on our strategies while keeping our consumer at the heart of it all. By putting our fans at the center of every decision, we are shaping Levi’s® not just as the denim leader but as an iconic lifestyle brand for generations to come.”
• Karyn Hillman’s role as chief product officer has been expanded to include merchandising in addition to design.
• Jason Gowans’s role also has expanded, and he is now the company’s chief digital and technology officer.
• Harmit Singh’s role as chief financial and growth officer has expanded to include oversight of LS&Co.’s transformation program. Singh will also lead the expansion of the shared services model, building global talent hubs around the world.
• Gianluca Flore, chief commercial officer, has expanded his scope and will now oversee licensing and planning.
• Bernard Bedon has been appointed as chief human resources officer, effective March 3. Bedon will report to Gass and will join the company’s executive leadership team. Bedon joins LS&Co. from Nike, where he most recently served as lead human resources business partner (HRBP).
• Liz O’Neill, chief operations officer, intends to retire from LS&Co. after nearly 12 years. To further streamline the company’s structure and ways of working, the chief operations officer position will be replaced with a new chief supply chain officer, who will be responsible for supply chain agility.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi’s®, Levi Strauss Signature™, Denizen®, Dockers® and Beyond Yoga® brands. Its products are sold in approximately 120 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 3,400 retail stores and shop-in-shops. For more information, visit http://levistrauss.com.
SOURCE: Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.)