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Don’t waste another dime on bloated channel reporting and vanity metrics.
Plus, Bazaarvoice hires a former Shopify VP, and Neiman Marcus has a CEO.
Welcome to On the Move. In this hiring-focused weekly feature, The Current is rounding up recent arrivals and departures at brands and retailers across the ecommerce landscape.
This week, COO and CFO roles combine at Tapestry and Torrid, while thredUP and Toms have new CMOs. Plus, actor Chris Evans joins a healthy dog food brand, and Williams Sonoma’s former president reveals his next move.
Check out the latest steps on the career ladder in ecommerce:
Noelle Sadler. (Courtesy photo)
Resale platform thredUP hired Noelle Sadler as chief marketing officer.
Sadler is the first dedicated CMO at the company in nearly five years. Previously, company president Anthony Marino oversaw marketing. Now, Salder will report to him.
Sadler most recently held the chief marketing officer role at online fashion retailer Lulus. Previously, she held marketing leadership positions at MAC Cosmetics, and was a cofounder of clothing clean-out service Retold Recycling.
"thredUP is undeniably changing the way the world shops and I'm eager to further the company's mission,” Sadler said, in a statement. “My expertise is deeply rooted in consumer marketing and merchandising, while my passion closely aligns with sustainability and reducing fashion waste.”
Colin Bodell. (Courtesy photo)
User-generated content-focused tech company Bazaarvoice named Colin Bodell as chief technology officer.
Bodell brings more than 25 years of experience, including having most recently served as a VP of engineering at Shopify, working to scale Shopify Plus. Previously, he served as a CTO at Groupon, American Eagle Outfitters, and Time Inc., and held several VP positions at Amazon over an eight-year tenure.
“Colin’s transformational thought leadership and retail and technology expertise will be integral in delivering our mission at Bazaarvoice of making shopping radically transparent,” said Keith Nealon, Bazaarvoice CEO, in a statement. “In today’s consumer-to-consumer economy, user-generated content is more needed than ever, and the breadth and depth of expertise Colin brings, specifically in the commerce space, will help drive success for our clients while making our products and services more accessible.”
Chris Evans is joining Jinx. (Courtesy photo)
The trend of celebrity partnerships that include direct involvement in a brand's inner workings continues.
Actor Chris Evans is set to join the leadership team at healthy dog food brand Jinx. The company said he will be playing an “active role in the business and creative direction of the brand,” getting involved in strategy as well as its marketing campaigns.
The Captain America star was first introduced to the brand, which is available at Walmart, as a customer shopping for his dog, Dodger.
"I'm excited to come on board and help grow awareness for the company so all dogs can have the highest quality food possible at an accessible price point,” Evans said in a statement.
Last week, we reported on the departure of Ryan Ross as president of Williams Sonoma.
This week brings news of his next opportunity: Ross will be the CEO of department store and ecommerce platform Neiman Marcus.
It’s a new role to have a dedicated CEO role for Neiman Marcus, which has a parent company that also owns Bergdorf Goodman. Ross will now report to Neiman Marcus Group CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck.
Prior to Williams Sonoma, Ross served as VP Marketing and Digital at HSN until the company’s acquisition by QVC. He also held leadership roles at Harrods, Pottery Barn and Gap, Inc.
"Neiman Marcus is the pinnacle of luxury and maintains the strongest customer relationships in the industry," said Ross, in a statement. "I look forward to working with a talented team of integrated luxury retail experts to create exceptional experiences for our customers, brand partners and associates."
With the move, Neiman Marcus Chief Customer Officer David Goubert is departing the company after three years to focus on social impact businesses.
DTC apparel and intimates brand Torrid made a pair of C-level appointments:
“As we continue to grow and scale our business, we are building a world-class leadership team to support our continued sustainable and profitable growth,” said CEO Lisa Harper, in a statement.
Scott Roe. (Courtesy photo)
Tapestry, Inc., the parent company of brands including Coach and Kate Spade, announced that longtime chief operating officer Tom Glaser will be retiring, effective Oct. 1.
With this move, current chief financial officer Scott Roe will also assume the COO role. With this role, Roe will oversee finance, supply chain and IT. Meanwhile, CEO Joanne Crevoiserat will oversee the company’s strategy and consumer insights teams, which previously reported to Roe.
Since Scott joined Tapestry in June 2021, he has been a great partner to me and has a unique and unparalleled understanding of multi-brand companies,” said Crevoiserat, in a statement. “I am very confident that Scott, together with our talented teams, will continue to optimize our robust operating platform as we move forward.”
Jan Ernst de Groot. (Courtesy photo)
Grocery retailer Ahold Delhaize made a pair of appointments:
At footwear and accessories brand Toms, Ian Stewart departed from the chief marketing officer role. With this move, chief strategy and impact officer Amy Smith will lead the marketing team in addition to impact.
Footwear News reports that Stewart departed the company for another opportunity. The company said Stewart’s work was crucial in “shifting the brand to seamlessly integrate product, marketing and impact together.”
Zero-calorie drink brand Zevia said Greig P. DeBow, Jr. joined as chief commercial officer on August 1. DeBow will oversee retail sales, ecommerce, analytics and more.
Bringing 25 years of experience in beverage and CPG, he was most recently SVP of Sales at Jack Link’s Protein Snacks. Prior to that he served as VP of Sales and Distribution at Danone North America, and several roles at Pabst Brewing Company, PepsiCo, Red Bull North America and Standard Beverage Corporation.
The job market continues to hum.
The labor market continued to show strength to start 2023, as the monthly jobs report posted big numbers.
Key data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly jobs report:
The Current’s view: The labor market continues to be an economic outlier. While there are signs of consumer pullback and belt-tightening among tech companies and retailers after months of high inflation, the job picture remains bright. While tech companies and some retailers are cutting back markedly, there are few signs of the widespread “pain” that economists predicted in this indicator of the economy.
What brands and retailers are thinking: Jobs are a major indicator of demand, and the labor market continues to hum along. That means the consumer pullback is tied to choices about discretionary spending and holding off on certain purchases in the face of high prices, moreso than being unable to afford items altogether.
What the Fed is thinking: Here’s more evidence that a soft landing might be possible. The Fed has been raising interest rates to bring down inflation. There is risk that this will slow down the economy, including employment. There was some slowing in job growth in December, but this report indicates labor market softening still hasn’t happened for a sustained period, even as inflation is cooling. After the central bank scaled back its latest interest rate hike to 0.25% on Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he sees a “path” to bringing down inflation without a significant rise in unemployment. Here’s one more piece of data to bolster that belief.
Keep in mind: The labor market is still out of balance between supply and demand. This report shows a big rise in jobs and the labor force participation rate remaining the same. Job openings actually increased in December, the Labor Department found. So there a still the case. Eventually, it will likely have to come into balance. But given the unpredictability of this economic era, it’s tough to know when, or even how.