Former Lululemon Chief Product Officer Joins Vans as Global Brand President
Sun Choe, who recently stepped down as Lululemon’s chief product officer after a seven-year tenure, has been recruited by VF Corp-owned footwear brand, Vans. Choe is set to take on the role of the brand’s new global president. This role has been vacant since Kevin Bailey left the position in October, with Choe’s appointment effective from late July.
During her tenure at Lululemon, Choe played a significant role in the brand’s foray into the footwear industry. At the 2022 FN Achievement Awards, Choe took part in accepting the Launch of the Year honor for Lululemon’s debut women’s shoe alongside Neuburger. She said at the time, “We not only design shoes for her. We design shoes with her.”
Choe also oversaw the launch of Lululemon’s men’s footwear line this year, stating at an event in New York City, “For over 25 years, Lululemon has been designing feel first. Our feel-first innovation philosophy is our ‘north star’ that blends art and science to discover technical and functional solutions in order to take a broader and more sensory-focused approach to product creation.”
Prior to Lululemon, Choe held positions in several major brands including Marc Jacobs, West Elm, Madewell, Urban Outfitters, Levi’s, and Gap.
Applauding Choe’s track record, Bracken Darrell, president and chief executive officer of VF Corp., said, “Sun is a strong leader who is focused on consumer insight and has a proven track record of driving brand heat, and translating it into financial results. I am confident that Sun is the right leader to take Vans to new heights. With Sun’s appointment, we are further transforming the VF leadership team to ignite growth across our brands and enhance value for our shareholders and other stakeholders.”
Sun Choe, expressing her excitement about joining Vans, said, “I am passionate about building high-performance cultures and teams and creating great designs and guest experiences that build long-lasting, meaningful connections with consumers around the world. At Vans, we will do just that — capitalizing on the brand’s identity as a lifestyle defined by creativity and authenticity. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Earlier this month, Darrell shared updates on the company’s turn-around strategy during their fourth-quarter earnings call. VF Corp. had disclosed a plan to revamp the struggling Vans brand, addressing issues like a lack of innovation, over-dependency on trending products, and a less strategic approach to brand positioning in the marketplace. Despite a reported 27% drop in Vans’ revenue in the fourth quarter, Darrell indicated that the company was starting to see positive signs such as robust direct-to-consumer sales in Europe and favorable Google search trends.