Burton
Recently, the American snowboard brand Burton announced the appointments of Jennifer Valentine as Chief Merchandising Officer and Debbie Lee as Chief Marketing Officer. Both will report directly to CEO John Lacy. Jennifer Valentine assumed her role in January, while Debbie Lee has been in the position since October 2024.
John Lacy stated, “Burton’s commitment to snowboarding is stronger than ever. While driving growth, we are also focusing on advancing our mission-driven initiatives. We are taking strategic actions to grow the Burton brand and our three key categories: snowboarding equipment, high-performance outerwear, and ANON winter protection products. Jen and Debbie are the right leaders to guide us into Burton’s next era, balancing profit and purpose.”
Jennifer Valentine
Jennifer Valentine brings over 18 years of business experience, having worked at German sportswear brand Adidas, where she held roles in finance, strategy, sales, and marketing. During her nearly two decades at Adidas, she led teams across multiple sports categories, including football, running, and training, covering footwear, apparel, and hardware products. Most recently, she oversaw global marketing and go-to-market strategies for Adidas Football and led cross-functional teams to manage brand and sports marketing for Adidas North America’s football division, strengthening its leadership in sports and driving regional business growth.
Debbie Lee
Debbie Lee officially joined Burton as Chief Marketing Officer in October 2024, taking charge of brand, marketing, and creative strategies, focusing on global audience engagement. Prior to joining Burton, she held senior leadership roles at 4moms, Caastle, Skip Hop, and Elizabeth Arden, where she developed strategies to enhance brand recognition.
Columbia Sportswear
According to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Skip Potter, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Information Officer of Columbia Sportswear, has departed the company as of January 6. During the search for his replacement, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jim Swanson will oversee the company’s digital technology division.
Skip Potter joined Columbia in 2021 and played a key role in leading the company’s global technology organization, advancing its digital footprint, as well as omnichannel and supply chain capabilities. Before joining Columbia, Potter served as Chief Technology Officer at Nike for four years, where he led a 2,000-member digital and e-commerce technology team. Before Nike, he held roles as Vice President of Engineering and Vice President of Technology Innovation at Capital One and served as Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer for BT Group’s Enterprise division.
In its recent trading update, Columbia reported a 5% decline in Q3 sales, amounting to $931.8 million. The decline reflects reduced wholesale orders for Fall 2024 and weak consumer demand in the U.S., partially attributed to unseasonably warm weather and headwinds in the outdoor category.
Coats Group
Coats Group, an industrial thread and component manufacturer, recently announced the appointment of Hannah Nichols as its next Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective April 24. The current CFO, Jackie Callaway, will step down after four and a half years in the role, having agreed to depart “by mutual consent.” Callaway will officially leave after the company’s Annual General Meeting on May 21 but will assist with a smooth transition until June 30.
Hannah Nichols will assume her role following the regular nomination procedures at the Annual General Meeting and will formally join the Board as an Executive Director on May 21.
Before joining Coats, Hannah Nichols served as CFO of the international industrial group Hill & Smith since 2019. She previously worked at BT Group, bringing over 20 years of experience in various financial positions. Nichols is also currently a Non-Executive Director at Oxford Instruments.
British Fashion Council
On January 9, the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced the appointment of Laura Weir as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Caroline Rush, with the role effective from April 28, 2025. Caroline Rush has led the BFC for the past 15 years, overseeing London Fashion Week and the establishment of the BFC Foundation. She announced her plans to step down last year.
David Pemsel, Chair of the BFC since September 2022, commented on the appointment: “We are delighted to announce Laura Weir as the new CEO of the British Fashion Council. Over the past two decades, Laura has worked with renowned and emerging designers, creative talent, industry leaders, and media. Her experience gives her a deep understanding of the complexities of the fashion ecosystem and the strategic vision to lead transformative initiatives, supported by an excellent team, as the BFC enters a new chapter both domestically and globally.”
Laura Weir is currently Creative Director at Selfridges and has previously held writing and editorial roles at Drapers, The Sunday Times, and British Vogue. In 2015, she was appointed Editor of ES Magazine, the weekly magazine of the London Evening Standard, and later founded and led her own consultancy. She has also been a member of the BFC’s Press Committee for the past nine years.
On her appointment, Laura Weir stated, “I am honored to lead the British Fashion Council at such an exciting and pivotal moment for the UK fashion industry. I look forward to working with the BFC team to champion culture and creativity, advancing British fashion’s presence domestically and globally. My focus will be on supporting emerging and established designers, strengthening the pipeline of British creative talent.” Her mandate includes driving the BFC’s core objectives: expanding fashion’s influence nationally and globally, nurturing new talent, investing in innovation, and achieving sustainability goals.
Bata
Swiss footwear company Bata recently announced the appointment of Miguel Esquide as Chief Design Officer. In his new role, Esquide will be based in Padua, Italy, leading a team of designers responsible for the Bata brand and its extended product lines, including Bata Red Label and Bata Comfit. He will merge Bata’s heritage with contemporary design elements to align the brand with modern consumer preferences.
Bata CEO Sandeep Kataria stated, “The appointment of a Chief Design Officer to our executive team underscores our commitment to design innovation. This significant move reflects our vision to place design at the core of our brand development, laying the foundation for fresh, captivating collections that highlight the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and style.”
Miguel Esquide brings over 20 years of experience working with renowned brands. Career highlights include appearances in Vogue magazine, co-founding the luxury brand 1CONCEPT, and leading footwear design and strategy at Inditex Group, where he served brands such as Lefties, Zara, and Pull&Bear. According to Bata’s statement, “Esquide’s ability to create collections that resonate with consumers and launch impactful initiatives aligns perfectly with Bata’s vision of crafting stylish, accessible footwear for everyone.”
Genesco
On January 8, U.S.-based multi-brand footwear group Genesco Group (NYSE: GCO) announced the appointment of Kyle Polischuk as Chief Human Resources Officer. She will report to Board Chair, President, and CEO Mimi Vaughn and serve on Genesco’s Executive Management Committee. The appointment took effect on January 6, 2025.
In this newly created role, Polischuk will leverage over 20 years of strategic HR experience to oversee Genesco’s human resource initiatives, including talent management and recruitment, leadership development, performance management, employee engagement, and total rewards.
Polischuk brings extensive expertise in consumer, retail, and HR sectors. Before joining Genesco, she served as Head of Talent Strategy at leading fashion discount e-commerce group Rue Gilt, aligning talent strategies with business objectives. Previously, she was Chief Human Resources Officer at fashion brand J. Jill, where she led the company’s talent strategy with a creative, collaborative, and data-driven approach. Earlier in her career, she held multiple positions at women’s apparel brand Talbots, eventually becoming Vice President of Human Resources and leading comprehensive HR operations while serving on the executive committee during a period of significant business transformation.
Founded in 1924 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Genesco operates 1,302 retail stores and branded e-commerce websites. Its portfolio includes brands such as Journeys, Little Burgundy, Schuh, and Johnston & Murphy, as well as Genesco Brands Group, which licenses lifestyle footwear brands such as Levi’s, Dockers, Starter, and PONY to major retailers.
| Sources: Official brand websites, LinkedIn profiles, SGB Media, Apparel Resources, World Footwear
| Image Credit: Official brand websites, LinkedIn profiles, executive LinkedIn pages
| Editor: LeZhi
