SPANX Promotes Kim Jones to CEO, Expands Executive Team
SPANX, the mission-driven womenswear brand founded by Sara Blakely, announced that Kim Jones has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. A company veteran, Jones most recently served as President and CFO, and in her new role, will oversee the company’s corporate strategy and global operations. With over two decades of experience providing strategic leadership to high-growth companies, Jones has a 15-year tenure with the brand and was named President in 2018. Prior to SPANX, she was the Chief Executive Officer at Sweetwater Brewing Company and, earlier in her career, she held finance positions at Ernst & Young, The Coca-Cola Company and EarthLink.
“I’m thrilled to announce Kim as CEO of SPANX,” said Sara Blakely, Founder and Executive Chairwoman of SPANX. “Kim has worked for SPANX for 15 years and, in addition to serving as CFO and President, she has been instrumental in the company’s growth from startup to the category-defining, digital-first apparel brand it is today. Her love and deep understanding for the brand and the customer make her the perfect fit (no pun-intended) for the job.”
Jones worked alongside Blakely to secure SPANX’s first outside investment in 2021, when it was acquired by funds managed by Blackstone, a leading global investment firm, to accelerate the company’s already rapid digital transformation, expand its global footprint and fuel new product innovation. Additional investors included iconic female entrepreneurs Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Whitney Wolfe Herd, as well as female-founded investment funds G9 Ventures, founded by Amy Griffin, and Able Partners.
“Kim is one of those right brain, left brain leaders. She has a deep understanding of the operating side of the business and financial disciplines and has great instinct for the customer. I’ve learned so much from her over the past 15 years and have loved having her as a thought partner. I’m excited about the growth ahead, and I’m confident she is the right leader to take SPANX to the next level,” said Blakely.
“I am honored that Sara, Blackstone and our Board have placed their trust in me in this incredibly exciting new chapter in the company’s growth journey,” said Jones. “I am so proud to lead this class of executives that is joining our already exceptional team of leaders. Our customers know us for best-in-class products, but what they may not realize is that we have a best-in-class team behind it all. With these appointments, we are doubling down on our commitment to the customer experience, fueling our growth trajectory and ensuring we have top talent to support the company’s long-term vision. I look forward stepping into this new role and am so excited about the opportunity that’s ahead for SPANX.”
Additional appointments include the following. Caroline (Cricket) Whitton has been promoted to President and will continue in her role as Chief Growth Officer. Since joining SPANX in 2017, Whitton has led the brand’s digital transformation earning 9X growth during her 5-year tenure at the brand.
Misha Nonoo has been appointed as Chief Brand Officer. She joins SPANX having served as CEO and Creative Director for her eponymous women’s ready-to-wear line since its founding in 2011. Her business continues to run under separate management. Given her 15 years of experience working in the fashion sector, Nonoo will be responsible for shaping the creative vision and strategy for the company going forward. She will leverage her fashion expertise and deep industry knowledge to accelerate the growth of the brand globally, bringing a fresh point of view to the legacy of SPANX. Nonoo is known as an innovator in the fashion sustainability space and was a finalist in the 2013 Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund. She has also been named to the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 In Art & Style list and to Crain’s New York Business’ 40 under 40 in 2015.
Martin Elliott has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer, overseeing all financial functions at the company. He joined SPANX from MGA Entertainment, a global manufacturer of toys and entertainment products, where he drove profitable growth and corporate development initiatives, in addition to guiding business strategy, in his role as CFO.
Coco Lu has been appointed as Chief People Officer overseeing all talent and human resource functions at the company. She began her career at Philips Electronics and Unilever and joins SPANX after a 15-year tenure with The Coca-Cola Company, serving most recently as Global Human Resources Director for their Technical, Innovation and Supply Chain function.
Nonoo, Elliott and Lu join Chief Information Officer, Keith Miller; Chief Creative Officer, Lisa Kulson; Chief Merchandising Officer, Kiana Miree; and President, Cricket Whitton, on the executive team reporting to Jones. The appointments build upon the additions of Miree and Kulson to the senior leadership team within the last year. Miree joined SPANX in 2016 and has led the company’s category expansion into apparel and activewear, leveraging its technology and decades of expertise in comfort and flattering fit to deliver the SPANX magic in new categories, including denim and the best-selling Perfect Collection. Kulson joined the company in 2021 and is transforming what functional fashion means for the consumer. With over two decades of design experience, she brings an elevated, sensible perspective to the brand’s ready-to-wear category.
Bryan Yambao Announced Editor-in-Chief of Perfect Magazine
Perfect has appointed Bryan Yambao, aka fashion influencer Bryanboy, as the Editor-in-Chief of Perfect Magazine. Previously Yambao held the role of International Editorial Director at the company. “The whole Perfect Team and I are thrilled to announce after two years as International Editorial Director, Bryan Yambao is now our new editor-in-chief,” said founder Katie Grand.
Robert Triefus Now CEO Gucci Vault and Metaverse Ventures
Gucci announced Robert Triefus CEO of Gucci Vault and Metaverse Ventures. This division was recently created to scale and expand the Kering-owned brand’s metaverse and gaming strategies.
Succeeding Gucci Vault CEO Nicolas Oudinot, who is leaving the company at the end of October, Triefus will report directly to president and CEO Marco Bizzarri. He will also continue his current role as senior executive vice president for corporate and brand strategy.
Puma Signed Deal with Skepta, Announcing Him New Global Ambassador
Global sports brand PUMA announced a long-term partnership with British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper, and record producer Skepta, who will work with the brand to design product and curate global marketing campaigns.
“This is the first brand partnership deal to come through my new company Big Smoke Corporation and one I am very proud of. Together with PUMA we can put our spin and create a new way of thinking about fashion and style.” Skepta says, “it’s an honour to work with such a globally recognized brand that is both embedded and has a real understanding of youth and popular culture, but also understands the importance of partnerships and collaborations such as this. We look forward to developing and creating new opportunities for the next generation together.”
“Skepta is the embodiment of progression, proven by the impact he has created on music, fashion, and culture over the last two decades. We are excited to start this journey with him where he will play a multifaceted role, bringing to life his knowledge and vision, helping us revolutionize our progressive space. We could not be happier to welcome him to our PUMA family, and I am excited to see what we accomplish together,” said Bjoern Gulden, PUMA’s CEO.
Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer Julie Brown stepping down at Burberry
Julie Brown is stepping down at Burberry. Brown joined Burberry in 2017 and was most recently the Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer. Brown will be leaving Burberry to take up an opportunity outside of the luxury industry. Brown will be joining GSK as its first female CFO in May.
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, commented: “Julie has played a key role in positioning Burberry for growth, supported by a high-quality team. I would like to personally thank her for the support she has provided me since I joined six months ago. I look forward to building on the strong foundations we have in place to realise Burberry’s full potential.”
Julie Brown, CO&FO, commented: “It has been a privilege to serve as Burberry’s CO&FO. As a group, we have strengthened our brand and business and taken an industry-leading position in sustainability. I am particularly proud of our work to navigate Burberry through the pandemic, remaining true to our values and delivering transformational change across Finance, IT, Burberry Business Services and Responsibility. I would like to thank Gerry, Jonathan, the Board, my colleagues and above all my team for their partnership. I am fully committed to continuing to support them until the close of our financial year.”
Lisa Ryan Howard Appointed Global Chief Revenue Officer of Hearst Magazines
Hearst Magazines announced Lisa Ryan Howard has been named to the newly created position of executive vice president, global chief revenue officer. In her new role, Ms. Howard will be responsible for both U.S. advertising and marketing and Hearst Global Solutions, the company’s international commercial division that creates cross-market solutions for brands. The announcement was made by Hearst Magazines President Debi Chirichella, to whom Ms. Howard will report.
Ms. Howard was most recently at The New York Times, where she was global head of advertising and marketing solutions, leading all aspects of The Times’s ad business. She joined the company in 2016 as senior vice president of advertising and was promoted to senior vice president, general manager of media, a position she held for four years.
“Lisa possesses a deep knowledge of the ever-evolving media landscape and has a proven track record of successfully leading revenue teams and building innovative opportunities that drive results,” Chirichella said. “She has exceptional experience in developing multi-platform client solutions and a keen understanding of marketers’ needs today, and she brings deep relationships in the industry to her new role. These attributes will be critical as we continue to accelerate the company’s digital transformation and chart the future of Hearst Magazines.”
Previously, Ms. Howard served in business and revenue leadership roles at Billboard, Yahoo and WebMD. She also spent 14 years at Condé Nast, where she held a variety of senior roles, including senior vice president, chief revenue officer of the Fairchild Fashion Group (WWD, WWD.com), publisher of Style.com and vice president of digital for Condé Nast Media Group.
“I’ve long admired Hearst Magazines’ iconic brands and am thrilled to join this incredibly talented team,” Ms. Howard said. “It’s an exciting time to work in media, and I look forward to helping lead Hearst’s ongoing evolution as a modern media company — one that produces the highest quality products and delivers unparalleled experiences for its audience and advertising partners through the use of sophisticated insights, data and technology.”
Howard begins her new role on October 3.
Carl Tallents Announced Matchesfashion Commercial Chief Officer
Carl Tallents joins Matchesfashion in October as the Commercial Chief Officer. Prior to this, Tallents was at Frasers Group as the Group Head of Luxury Brands.
Tallents said: “I am looking forward to getting to know the team and thrilled to be working alongside [CEO] Nick [Beighton] to help deliver the next phase of Matchesfashion, a true market leader in modern luxury fashion globally.”
Beighton added that he’s “a fantastic addition to our executive leadership team. We remain focused on our ambition to be The luxury destination for customers in the world. Carl brings a depth of experience and leadership that will be invaluable as we enter our next phase of growth”.
Loewe announced actress Tang Wei and girl group NMIXX as New Global Ambassadors
Loewe announced actress Tang Wei and girl group NMIXX as new Global Ambassadors for the house. Accompanying the announcement, a new image series features Tang Wei and NMIXX styled in LOEWE FW22 with this season’s Solid colour Puzzle and Puffer Goya bags.
‘It’s a pleasure to welcome Tang Wei to the LOEWE family. Having worked together for our recent pre-collection campaign with Juergen Teller, I’m really looking forward to continuing this exciting collaboration. I’m excited to welcome NMIXX to the LOEWE family as our first brand ambassador group. I’m looking forward to the fun, vibrant energy they’ll bring to our collaboration.’ -Creative director Jonathan Anderson
‘It’s great to be working with such an exciting fashion house. For me, LOEWE has an almost child-like energy: pure and vibrant as the sun. It’s a brand with infinite possibilities.’ – Tang Wei
‘It’s such an honor to work with LOEWE, we’re excited to have the opportunity to bring an NMIXX twist to luxury fashion. We can’t wait to dive into the LOEWE world and discover more about the house’s unique point of view on craft and culture.’ – NMIXX
Antoine Griezmann Renews As The Face Of Mango Man
Mango Man is continuing its commitment to Antoine Griezmann after resigning him as the face of the brand for the launch of its new Autumn 2022 collection. The Mango menswear line, created in 2008 to offer men modern and contemporary fashion, has found in the French footballer the carefree, relaxed and authentic essence it wishes to transmit through the line’s urban and cosmopolitan collections.
Mango Man, which has previously counted on major talents such as Gerard Piqué, Zinedine Zidane, Adrien Brody and Andrés Velencoso for its campaigns, presents a series of looks this autumn which adapt to the way the French footballer dresses and expresses himself off the pitch.