Nike
Cathleen Benko, a member of the Board of Directors at American sportswear giant Nike, has announced her retirement, effective after the company’s annual shareholder meeting in early September.
Benko joined Nike’s board in 2018. At the time, she was Vice Chairman and Managing Principal of Deloitte LLP and previously led Deloitte’s Digital Giants program, advising several global corporations on transformations critical to shareholder value creation. During her tenure at Deloitte, she held several senior leadership roles, including Global e-Business Leader, Technology Sector Leader, and the firm’s first Chief Talent Officer. Benko holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Concurrently, Nike has nominated Jørgen Vig Knudstorp as a candidate for its Board of Directors.
Knudstorp most recently served as Vice Chairman of the LEGO Foundation. He held various leadership roles at the LEGO Group starting in 2001, including serving as President and CEO from 2004 to 2016 and as Executive Chairman of the LEGO Brand Group from 2017 to 2023.
With extensive global experience in brand and digital marketing, strategy, and consumer goods, Knudstorp also previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He holds both a master’s and a PhD in Economics and Business Administration from Aarhus University.
He currently serves as Independent Board Chair at Starbucks Corporation and is also a Partner and Executive Advisor at Innovation Endeavors.
Lacoste
French heritage sports-fashion brand Lacoste has appointed Éric Vallat as its new CEO, effective September 1.
Vallat will succeed Thierry Guibert, who will continue in his role as CEO of Lacoste’s parent company, MF Brands Group.
Vallat most recently served as CEO of Rémy Cointreau Group. He previously held leadership roles at Richemont Group, overseeing fashion and accessories brands, and has also worked at Louis Vuitton Europe, Dior Haute Couture Japan, Bonpoint, and J.M. Weston.
Napapijri
U.S. apparel giant VF Corporation has appointed Valentina Visconti Prasca as President of its outdoor clothing brand Napapijri, succeeding Silvia Onofri, who has joined Miu Miu as CEO.
Previously, Visconti Prasca served as Global General Manager and Executive Committee Member at luxury e-commerce group Yoox Net-a-Porter. Her earlier roles include senior leadership positions at Bain & Company, De Agostini Publishing, packaging materials group Veepee, and eBay.
adidas
German sportswear giant adidas has appointed Vijay Chauhan as Managing Director for India, effective August 1.
Chauhan most recently served as Senior Vice President of International Business at American Eagle Outfitters. He succeeds Neelendra Singh, who is stepping down after more than two decades with adidas.
Based in Gurgaon, Chauhan will oversee adidas’ operations in the Indian market. With over 25 years of industry experience, he previously worked at adidas from 1999 to 2019, where he held positions including Vice President of Retail and Franchising for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAPAC), General Manager for Thailand, and sales roles in India.
Brixton
California-based lifestyle brand Brixton has appointed Colleen O’Neill as President, succeeding CEO Seth Ellison, who is retiring.
O’Neill most recently served as Executive Vice President of Licensing and Emerging Brands at Hybrid Apparel, a California-based company specializing in design, development, sourcing, production, and distribution. Her previous experience includes Vice President of Fashion and Home at Warner Bros., with earlier roles at DreamWorks Animation and The Walt Disney Company.
Founded in 2004, Brixton has evolved into a full-channel lifestyle brand, renowned for seamlessly integrating surf, skate, music, design, and fashion into modern classic headwear, apparel, and accessories. In 2014, the company was acquired by investment firm Altamont Capital.
Fabletics
California-based digital-native activewear brand Fabletics has announced two executive appointments:
- Chief Operating Officer Meera Bhatia has been promoted to President and COO
- Senior Vice President of Marketing Carly Gomez has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer
As President and COO, Bhatia will now oversee product innovation, retail, wholesale, and international operations. During her previous tenure, she drove key initiatives in e-commerce, production, operations, and technology, and led the brand’s expansion into new channels.
In her new role, Gomez will lead all brand, digital innovation, and customer engagement initiatives.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in California, Fabletics is a membership-based activewear brand that is rooted in e-commerce and is now also available through numerous brick-and-mortar retailers.
Co-founder and CEO Adam Goldenberg previously disclosed that Fabletics, owned by TechStyle Fashion Group, is on track to achieve its revenue target of USD 1 billion.
｜Source: Official press releases, SGB Media, Luxeplace archives
｜Image Credit: Brand websites, personal social media accounts
｜Editor: LeZhi
