OTB / Marni
Italian fashion company OTB Group has appointed Stefano Rosso as the new CEO of its Italian luxury brand Marni.
Stefano Rosso will report to OTB Group CEO Ubaldo Minelli, with former Marni CEO Barbara Calò supporting him during the transition period.
Stefano Rosso, the son of OTB Group Chairman Renzo Rosso, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2004. In 2005, he became CEO of Diesel, another brand under the OTB Group. Currently, he also serves as the chairman of Maison Margiela (since June 2023), a board member of OTB Group, and CEO of BVX (Brave Virtual Xperience), a division of OTB focused on developing products for the virtual world. Additionally, since October 2021, he has been a board member of the AURA Blockchain Consortium, representing OTB Group.
Renzo Rosso stated, “Marni is a unique brand that has established a solid global positioning in recent years and has attracted a special audience including creative professionals, artists, and brand enthusiasts worldwide. Stefano will take on the crucial responsibility of rapidly advancing Marni’s positioning in the luxury market. This new role is another step in his career. I believe his international experience and innovative vision will play a decisive role in enhancing Marni’s iconic image and attracting more audiences.”
Ubaldo Minelli also commented, “By appointing Stefano as CEO of Marni, we aim to strengthen the brand’s leadership, which is fundamental to the growth of the entire OTB Group. Marni still has significant potential to be explored, and we believe Stefano is the right person to drive this process.”
Clarks
British footwear company Clarks has announced that CEO Jonathan Ram has decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities. To ensure continuity of leadership, Chairman Colin Li and other directors will form a temporary executive committee to lead the company while waiting for the appointment of a new CEO.
Jonathan Ram joined Clarks in April 2022, tasked with rebuilding Clarks as a global brand, following several challenging years for the company.
Previously family-owned, Clarks experienced losses during the pandemic, but the struggles began even before the pandemic. In 2020, Clarks was acquired by LionRock Capital, a private equity firm supported by Li Ning from Hong Kong, China.
Jonathan Ram graduated from Concordia University in Canada with a degree in marketing. He first worked in the Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) in the United States. In 1996, he joined Richmont Group, serving as the sales and marketing director for Richmont Apparel dba Gear for Sports Canada. Later, from 2002 to 2015, he worked at New Balance for over a decade, starting as the brand’s sales and marketing manager in Canada and eventually becoming the Executive Vice President for North America. Before joining Clarks, he served as the President of the Global Activewear Division at HanesBrands from 2018 to 2022.
Wolford
The supervisory board of Wolford, a luxury lingerie brand under the Lanvin Group from Austria, has appointed Regis Rimbert as a member of the executive committee, effective May 6, 2024. As the Chief Transformation Officer, he will support and drive the company’s further transformation.
Regis Rimbert began his career in 1997 with the Prada Group, holding positions such as Senior Auditor of Retail Operations for the American market and General Manager for the Hawaii market. In 2000, he joined Dior, serving as the General Manager for the Southeast Asia market, as well as the Middle East and India market.
Regis Rimbert joined Wolford in 2009 as the Global Sales Director, and in 2013, he became the Director of Retail, E-commerce, and Licensing for the brand’s parent company, Lanvin Group.
Under Armour
American sports company Under Armour has announced the appointment of Yuron White as Vice President of Activewear, Running Shoes, Basketball, Curry Brand, and Collaboration Categories, effective April 29.
Yuron White has over 25 years of experience in the sports apparel industry. Before joining Under Armour, he worked at New Balance, serving as the Vice President of Global Lifestyle, Basketball, and Innovation.
Earlier in his career, he worked for many years at Nike, holding positions such as Vice President of Functional Sports and Cross-Category Concepts, responsible for driving growth in multiple Nike categories, including tennis, golf, men’s and women’s training, soccer, baseball, and skateboarding shoes. He also served as Vice President of Footwear for the Jordan Brand and Vice President and General Manager of Nike Basketball in Shanghai.
In his new role at Under Armour, Yuron White will report directly to Chief Product Officer Yassine Saidi. He will be based in Under Armour’s Portland office,
responsible for the development of footwear and apparel, creating exciting products, and driving profitable growth. According to the brand’s statement, he will formulate and execute the product strategy for activewear, running, basketball, Curry Brand, and collaboration categories.
Yassine Saidi stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Yuron to Under Armour. His experience in sports apparel and footwear will play a crucial role in delivering higher design and product standards and in launching the next chapter of growth. I know he will help us expand our product and partnership scope to drive consumer demand.”
The appointment of Yuron White is Under Armour’s latest move to strengthen its product leadership team and marks the first personnel appointment since brand founder Kevin Plank returned as CEO.
Theory
Jeffrey Kalinsky, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Business Officer of New York fashion brand Theory, has announced his departure.
Jeffrey Kalinsky is a well-known entrepreneur and business sales expert in the fashion industry with over 30 years of experience and is the founder of the luxury boutique chain Jeffrey.
In 2005, Nordstrom acquired a majority stake in Jeffrey, and Jeffrey Kalinsky joined Nordstrom as the Director of Designer Marketing and later became Executive Vice President, responsible for strategic initiatives and creative collaborations.
In 2020, after Nordstrom permanently closed three Jeffrey boutiques, the parties parted ways. Jeffrey Kalinsky has been serving as Theory’s creative consultant since November 2021 and took on the roles of Chief Creative Officer and Chief Business Officer in March 2022.
| Source: Official press releases, Fashion Network, LinkedIn
| Image Credit: Brand websites, individual LinkedIn profiles of executives
| Editor: LeZhi
