Best Buy exec joins Gap Inc. in newly created leadership position
Gap Inc. has made two additions to its senior team, naming its first-ever chief growth officer and a new CEO for Banana Republic.
The apparel retailer appointed Asheesh Saksena as chief growth officer, a new position that will focus on executing the company’s strategic agenda and leading growth initiatives for the future. He will join the company in January.
Saksena most recently served as president of Best Buy Health, where he led the formation and operation of the brand’s strategic diversification into digital health. Saksena joined Best Buy in 2016 as as chief strategic growth officer.
Prior to Best Buy, Saksena led strategy and growth organizations at Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable and as a partner at Accenture.
In another executive appointment, Sandra Stangl has been named president and CEO of Banana Republic. She succeeds Mark Breitbard, who was named president and CEO of Global Gap Brand, franchise, strategic alliances & licensing in September.
Most recently, Stangl co-founded and was the chief merchant of Mine, a pure-play home business. Prior to that, from December 2017 to August 2018, she served as president, chief merchandising and business development officer for Restoration Hardware.
Before Restoration Hardward, Stangl spent 15 years at Williams-Sonoma, where she held a variety of leadership positions, including serving as president of Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen from 2013 to 2017.
“Gap Inc. has significant opportunity to grow our purpose-led, billion-dollar lifestyle brands through the power of our platform, sophisticated end-to-end capabilities and by harnessing the advantages that come with operating a portfolio that targets 80% of the addressable apparel market,” said Sonia Syngal, CEO of Gap Inc. “With the addition of Asheesh and Sandra, two strong industry veterans and proven creators, I have even greater confidence in our ability to deliver against our Power Plan 2023 as we steer the company into the future."