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08 November 2022
New CEOs are stepping in at adidas, Puma, Levi's, Bath & Body Works
On the Move has the latest leadership moves at Mondelez, Rothy’s, LTK and Cotopaxi.

On the Move has the latest leadership moves at Mondelez, Rothy’s, LTK and Cotopaxi.
Welcome to On the Move. Every week, The Current is rounding up the coming and goings of leaders at brands and retailers across the ecommerce, retail and CPG landscape.
This week, adidas hired Puma’s CEO, while Levi’s tapped Kohl’s CEO to become its next leader. Plus, check out new C-level appointments at Mondelez, Rothy’s, LTK and Cotopaxi.
Bjørn Gulden was tapped to be the next CEO of adidas, and will take the helm at the beginning of 2023. He will succeed Kasper Rorsted in the top job at the German sportswear giant, following an announcement over the summer that Rorsted would step down after six years at the helm. Gulden has served as CEO of Puma since 2013, where he is credited with leading a turnaround effort. He also has previous experience with adidas as SVP of apparel and accessories from 1992-1999, and has held senior roles at jewelry brand Pandora and Rack Room Shoes.
Arne Freundt, in turn, was promoted to the role of CEO of Puma, succeeding Gulden after he resigned to take on the adidas CEO role. Freundt has been at Puma for more than a decade. He will begin in the CEO role on Jan. 1, 2023, Puma said in a brief statement.
Michelle Gass was appointed to the role of president at Levi Strauss & Co., and is set to become CEO of the apparel company within the next 18 months. In turn, Gass is resigning from the CEO role at Kohl’s, which she has held since 2013. As president at Levi Strauss, Gass will oversee the Levi’s brand, as well as the company’s digital and commercial operations. A news release cited her “exceptional direct-to-consumer experience,” and leadership of a turnaround effort at Kohl’s that included expansion of the department store chain’s digital business. Gass will succeed current Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh following a transition. At Kohl’s, Tom Kingsbury will serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is named.
Gina Boswell was hired as CEO of Bath & Body Works. She brings more than 30 years of experience to the leading role at the beauty and personal care retailer, having worked at Unilever, Alberto Culver Company and The Estee Lauder Companies. At Unilever, Boswell served as EVP of personal care for North America, head of UK & Ireland and president of customer development for Unilever USA. Boswell succeeds Sarah Nash, who has served as interim CEO since May.
Gina Boswell.
Tuesday Morning announced a series of leadership changes that will reshape its C-suite. This comes after Pier 1 and Dressbarn owner Retail Ecommerce Ventures acquired a majority interest in the offprice home goods retailer in September. The moves are as follows:
Rafeh Masood is stepping down as chief customer and technology officer at Bed Bath & Beyond. “Mr. Masood’s resignation was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices or financial statements,” the company stated in a regulatory filing. It comes after a wave of executive departures this year at the home retailer, including former CEO Mark Tritton in June. The company is now being led by Sue Gove, who was named to the permanent CEO role after a stint as interim leader.
Mondelez International, the snacks company that oversees Ritz and Oreo, announced a series of personnel moves on its third quarter earnings call:
Rothy’s, the brand that makes shoes, handbags and accessories from recycled materials, announced a pair of executive hires, and shared a pair of leadership updates.
Brad Hiranaga.
Apple will see a pair of executive-level departures, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar. They are as follows:
Nicole Sokol joined Haus Labs by Lady Gaga as VP of product development, Happi reported. Sokol brings more than 15 years of experience at brands such as Makeup by Mario, MAC, Revlon, Avon and Alamay.
Rachel Jones was promoted to the role of SVP, chief product innovation and science officer at GNC. Jones joined the nutrition retailer in 2004. She will now oversee product development, product brand strategy, scientific affairs and innovation.
Rachel Jones.
Nicola Formichetti is partnering with Claire’s to become creative director in residence. The fashion director and futurist will collaborate on content, a partnership with V Magazine and the opening of a new Paris store with the accessories and jewelry retailer. All of these collaborations are aimed at deepening ties between Claire’s and Gen Zalpha.
Jeremy Paterson is joining LTK, the creator-guided shopping platform, as general manager of international, leading growth in Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific. It comes as LTK recently expanded to Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and New Zealand. Paterson previously led international operations from Groupon, and held operational roles at Amazon and eBay.
Consumer behavior differs by age group, Jungle Scout finds.
Gen Z consumers are shopping online at higher rates than other generations, and choosing to start product searches on TikTok over Google.
Those are a couple of takeaways from a new report on consumer trends issued this week by ecommerce seller platform Jungle Scout.
When it comes to Gen Z consumers, the report found the following:
Daily digital: 32% of Gen Z consumers shop online at least once daily. That’s compared to 25% of millennials, 15% of Gen X and 7% of baby boomers.
Starting at TikTok: 43% of Gen Z consumers start product searches on TikTok. That’s a higher share than those that start searches on Google. In the overall population, a majority of consumers still start product searches on Amazon.
Secondhand savings: 42% of Gen Z consumers purchased a resale item in the last year. Gen Z is the most likely generation to shop secondhand items online to save money.
The report highlights how Gen Z appears to be more digitally inclined, and willing to embrace emerging shopping modes, whether that is a social media platform or category like resale. At the same time, it underscores the generational variation in consumer behavior.
Gen Z seems to be putting the lowest priority on saving money, despite wider anxiety about the economy during this period of high inflation. The report found that baby boomers are 78% more likely than Gen Z to purchase items on sale. Boomers are also the most likely to use credit cards that have perks allowing them to save money.
Meanwhile, 56% of Gen X and 43% of millennials are cutting back on purchases in the fun or impulse category to save money. Among Gen Z consumers, the share of those pulling back is 37%.
“In the world of ecommerce, one size does not fit all,” says Michael Scheschuk, President of Small & Medium Business at Jungle Scout. “Businesses must understand each generation’s unique values, preferences, and behaviors to create tailored strategies. As the youngest and newest cohort of shoppers, Gen Z offers invaluable insights into the current and future trends shaping retail.”
A note on spending: When it comes to overall commerce spending, data from Jungle Scout shows that spending ticked up in the first quarter, though more spend is being directed toward essentials. Consumers bought more groceries, cleaning supplies and supplements, while cutting back on discretionary items such as electronics, clothing and home goods.