Lily AI Names Ahmed Naiem as President, Macy’s, Inc. Taps Massimo (Max) Magni as Chief Customer and Digital Officer, & more

Macy’s, Inc. Names Massimo (Max) Magni Chief Customer and Digital Officer

Macy’s, Inc. announced that Massimo (Max) Magni has been named chief customer and digital officer. Max will begin leading the company’s customer and digital organization on Monday, August 21, reporting to Tony Spring, president and CEO-elect, Macy’s, Inc.

In this role, Max will guide the strategic long-term vision and growth of Macy’s, Inc.’s digital business, aligned on customer-centric strategies that leverage data and analytics to enhance the consumer journey across touchpoints. These include the company’s e-commerce sites, mobile apps, marketplace, loyalty, and gift registry programs – all focused on presenting great products and differentiated experiences that provide customers with more choice, discovery and inspiration. At the center of the customer journey, this team enables seamless, personalized, convenient engagement across the digital platforms of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s and in-store with mobile app enhancements that make shopping more relevant and interactive.

“I’m excited to welcome Max to Macy’s, Inc. He brings to the team an innovative, customer-led mindset that will help advance our digital business and strengthen our customer relationships. His passion for and experience with portfolio optimization, e-commerce and digital analytics transformation makes him a great fit for the organization,” said Tony Spring, president and CEO-elect, Macy’s, Inc.

With extensive experience working across a host of iconic brands in apparel, beauty, consumer goods, hospitality, and grocery; Max brings best-in-class e-commerce/digital transformation practices to Macy’s, Inc. A more than 20-year veteran of McKinsey & Company, Inc., he was most recently a senior partner co-leading McKinsey’s NeXT Commerce and the global leader of the Consumer Growth Practices helping clients develop customer-centric and data-driven initiatives to drive profitable and sustainable growth.

Max has a B.S. in International Economics from Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

New York Magazine Names Matthew Schneier Restaurant Critic

New York editor-in-chief David Haskell today announced that Matthew Schneier will become the magazine’s next principal restaurant critic. After four years as a features writer at New York and the Cut, Schneier will move to covering New York restaurant culture, writing regular reviews of the city’s most prominent new restaurants for the biweekly magazine as well as offering guides and recommendations and answering readers’ dining questions for Grub Street.

Schneier will be New York’s third principal restaurant critic in its 55-year history. The first, Gael Greene, was at the magazine for more than four decades, broadening the scope and dialing up the style of American food writing. In 2000, Adam Platt stepped into the job; after 22 years that included a cover story finally dropping the “dated charade” of anonymity, he shifted into writing features for the magazine. (Greene and Platt were, for brief periods, paired with co-critics Corby Kummer and Hal Rubenstein.)

“Matthew joins a very small club — one that also includes Milton Glaser, who co-created our ‘Underground Gourmet’ column in addition to inventing the magazine’s visual identity — and is ideally equipped to lead this magazine’s food criticism going forward,” said Haskell. “He is both discerning and exuberant, witty and dead serious, and committed to the kind of cultural criticism New York does best. He also knows a ton about food, wine, and the theater of the city’s restaurant scene; trust me, you’ll soon trust him.”

“I’m ecstatic to follow in these giant footsteps,” Schneier said. “Dining unites New York, and restaurants are an essential part of our culture. Everyone is expected to have an opinion about them. As my family and friends can tell you, I haven’t shut up about mine in about 15 years.”

At the magazine, Schneier’s work has focused on style, culture, and the city, ranging from the hunt for Ghislaine Maxwell to the silent chic of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s fashion label, The Row. Since joining New York, he has regularly written about the world of food and dining, including the fate of appetite in the age of Ozempic, the long reign and extra-Manhattan ambitions of restaurateur-provocateur Keith McNally, the pandemic boom in sourdough baking, and the cozy comforts of Ina Garten. His most recent piece was an exploration of Centurion New York, American Express’s midtown restaurant for black-card members.

Prior to joining New York in 2019, Schneier was a reporter for the New York Times, where he covered fashion and was an integral part of the team that investigated sexual-harassment allegations against photographers Bruce Weber and Mario Testino in the wake of the Me Too movement. His writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Gentlewoman, Slate, T, and the New York Times Book Review.

Schneier will join a dedicated team of writers at New York Magazine and Grub Street, working under food editor Alan Sytsma to cover New York’s culinary scene and alongside “Underground Gourmet” columnist Tammie Teclemariam, senior writer Chris Crowley, and “The Year I Ate New York” diner-at-large E. Alex Jung.

Wolverine Worldwide Appoints Christopher E. Hufnagel as President and Chief Executive Officer

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Christopher E. Hufnagel, President of Wolverine, as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Hufnagel succeeds Brendan L. Hoffman, who is no longer with the Company.

Mr. Hufnagel joined Wolverine Worldwide in 2008 and has served in leadership roles across the organization. Before his appointment as President in May 2023, he was President of the Company’s Active Group with responsibility for Merrell, Saucony, Chaco, the Kids Group, and Global Licensing. He has also served as Wolverine Worldwide’s Global Brand President of Merrell and Global Brand President of CAT Footwear. In earlier roles at the Company, he was President of Direct-to-Consumer and Senior Vice President of Strategy. Prior to joining Wolverine Worldwide, Mr. Hufnagel held senior leadership roles at Under Armour, Gap, and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Tom Long, Chairman of the Wolverine Worldwide Board of Directors said, “The Board has confidence in Wolverine’s potential and capacity to deliver strong shareholder value on a sustained basis. This, of course, depends heavily on our continued ability to develop great products and build compelling brands. Chris has a demonstrated track record of successfully building global brands, and he has a deep understanding of the Company, our people, and our priorities. We are confident in the Company’s overarching strategy, and in Chris and the team’s ability to execute it with substantially enhanced urgency and boldness.”

Mr. Long continued, “We are grateful to Brendan for his leadership over the past three years. He has played a key role in setting us on the path to simplify the business and prioritize our most important growth initiatives. We wish him the best in his next chapter.”

“I am honored to step in as CEO at this critical moment for the Company. Wolverine Worldwide maintains some of the world’s most recognizable and loved lifestyle and footwear brands, and transforming our business to bring the full power of these brands to life will be a key driver of our success,” said Mr. Hufnagel. “I have had the privilege of working with many teams across this organization over the past 15 years, and we have what it takes to build a stronger, more resilient company. I look forward to working with the entire team to continue to improve profitability, generate growth, and create shareholder value.”

Columbia Sportswear Names Woody Blackford Chief Product Officer, Columbia Brand

Columbia Sportswear Company, a global leader in designing, sourcing, marketing, and distributing outdoor, active and everyday lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment products, has hired Woody Blackford as Senior Vice President, Chief Product Officer for the Columbia Brand.

Mr. Blackford is returning to Columbia, where he previously worked for 14 years, culminating in the position of Vice President, Global Design and Innovation. While at Columbia, he invented Omni-Heat, the patented technology used in many of Columbia’s products. He brings several decades of experience in consumer product creation most recently with Canada Goose. Mr. Blackford will coordinate all product aspects of apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment for the Columbia Brand, helping to bring to market Columbia’s exceptional, ground-breaking patented products.

“We are delighted to welcome Woody back to Columbia,” said Joe Boyle, Executive Vice President and President, Columbia Brand. “Woody’s long track record of creating innovative solutions to protect people in the outdoors will help us continue our growth strategy in years to come.”

New Balance Signs First Female Basketball Athlete, Cameron Brink 

New Balance announced that 4xAll-American, WBCA Defensive Player of the Year and FIBA 3X3 World Cup MVP, Cameron Brink has signed with the brand, making her the first female basketball player on the expanding brand’s roster. Cameron joins an impressive roster of athletes including Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Zach LaVine, and Dejounte Murray. Cameron’s ability to dominate on the court, give back to the sport, and inspire female athletes make her the perfect addition to the New Balance family.  

Cameron, an exceptional forward, has garnered widespread recognition for her extraordinary skills, versatility, and unwavering dedication to the game. She played a pivotal role as a freshman winning the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2021.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Cameron as the first female basketball player to join the New Balance family,” says Naveen Lokesh, Head of Basketball Sports Marketing. “Cameron’s exceptional skill on the court and her desire to give back align perfectly with New Balance’s desire to change the game for the better. We are excited to support Cameron reaching new heights in her career and contributing to the growth of women’s basketball for years to come.” 

Cameron will appear in various campaigns from lifestyle to performance, work with the footwear and apparel design teams to influence future products.  

“I am honored and excited to join forces with New Balance,” said Cameron Brink. “Their ability to empower athletes perfectly aligns with my own values, and I look forward to this journey with them. I hope we inspire athletes around the world to fearlessly pursue their dreams.” 

New Balance’s commitment to supporting athletes extends beyond the court, field, track, etc. New Balance and Cameron Brink will actively engage in community-driven initiatives to create positive change in the lives of young, female athletes.  

Pandora Announces Global Brand Ambassador Ashley Park

Pandora, the world’s largest jewellery brand, today welcomes Tony, Grammy, and Critics Choice award nominee Ashley Park as its newest Global Brand Ambassador. Known for her distinct personal style, Ashley is beloved for her iconic roles and presence across fashion, TV, film and music. 

“It’s such an honor to be working with Pandora,” said Ashley Park. “I remember the first Pandora bracelet I received and cherished from one of my early birthdays. And today, as a storyteller and artist, I am especially drawn to Pandora’s unique commitment to creativity and making each moment and story special with their endless personal styling options. I’m grateful to have the ability to be part of a brand that has a wide breadth of pieces from timeless Lab-Grown Diamonds to meaningful charms, and to be able to bring my own personal take on jewelry and self-expression to Pandora – both for special occasions and every day.” 

The multihyphenate is best known for the hit Netflix shows Emily in Paris and Beef, the newly released film Joy Ride, and the upcoming Hulu series Murders in the Building. A well-rounded star, she has also appeared on Broadway in productions of Mamma Mia, Mean Girls and The King and I.

Park will join Pandora at global events and grace the pages of media to help inspire creativity, style and individuality – furthering Pandora’s worldwide footprint within culture and as a full jewellery house. 

Sotheby’s Appoints Geoff Hess as Head of Watches, Americas

Sotheby’s announced the appointment of Geoff Hess as Senior Vice President and Head of Watches, Americas. Based in New York, Geoff will work with colleagues both in the Americas and internationally to accelerate the growth in Sotheby’s Watches category by driving innovation, further developing brand awareness, and collaborating across regions to ensure a globally aligned strategy. 

Geoff arrives at Sotheby’s with meaningful years of experience in the global watch industry, with a broad knowledge across vintage and modern timepieces, and especially sports watches. Most recently, Geoff was an International Specialist of Phillips Watches Department in New York. Prior to joining Phillips Auction House, Geoff was the CEO of Analog / Shift, a platform for vintage timepieces, and was instrumental in the company’s growth and acquisition by Watches of Switzerland. As a dedicated collector and active member of the watch community for many years, Geoff is the proud founder of the acclaimed ‘Rolliefest’ gathering, which will take place once again this September in New York. He’s also an Academy Member of the Grand Prix d’Horologerie de Genève (GPHG). 

Josh Pullan, Head of Sotheby’s Global Luxury Division, commented: “The watch market is one of the most global and fastest growing collecting categories, and we are delighted to welcome Geoff during a moment of unprecedented growth for Sotheby’s, where annual worldwide auction sales achieved a record $179m in 2022, a 22% increase from 2021. As an internationally respected curator with longstanding experience and deep commitment to fostering a passionate collecting community, Geoff brings unmatched gravitas, scholarship and strong relationships to our Americas team, and I look forward to working with him on further strengthening Sotheby’s Watches position to meet the ever-growing interest and demand from the region.”

Geoff Hess, remarked: “It is my honor to take up the role of Sotheby’s Head of Watches, Americas. Witnessing the recent unprecedented changes in the global watch market, I believe the potential for growth is significant. I am delighted to be joining an existing results-driven team and look forward to working together to conceive and execute plans to drive consistent sales and growth.”