C-Suite Moves: October update
Here are the major retail C-suite changes that occurred in October, starting with the most recent. (All changes have already taken effect unless otherwise noted.)
•Carter's tapped Maria Gemzell as chief product office, effective early 2027. She joins from H&M’s headquarters in Stockholm, where she led strategic and new product initiatives. The children's apparel giant also named Sarah Crockett, who joined Carter's in 2025, to the role of chief brand officer. Allison Peterson, who joined the company in 2024, has been appointed to the newly created role of chief commercial officer.
In other changes, Carter’s is creating a standalone COO role, with a search underway to fill the position.
•The Real Real named Alexis Hoopes as its new chief merchandising officer. Hoopes joins the online luxury resale marketplace from eBay, where she served as VP and general manager of global fashion for two years.
•Online marketplace operator Etsy Inc. said that CFO Lanny Baker will step down, effective March 1, 2027.
•Tractor Supply Company appointed Fahim Siddiqui as executive VP and chief technology and digital officer. Siddiqui most recently served as executive VP and chief information officer of The Home Depot from April 2022 to May 2025, after joining the company as senior VP of information technology in December 2018.
•MillerKnoll Inc. named company veteran Jeff Stutz as CEO and board member. He has served as interim chief since June 2025, succeeding Andi Owen, who retired as “mutually agreed" upon with the board.
•Torrid Holdings Inc. said that CFO Paula Dempsey has resigned to “pursue another opportunity.“ The company named Will Langley as interim CFO. Most recently, he served as finance chief from January 2020 through May 2025.
•Lululemon Athletica Inc. overhauled its senior leadership team, The changes include the appointment of Maggie Gauger to the newly created role of president and chief product officer. She joins from Gap Inc.’s Athleta, where she has served as CEO and president since July 2025. Previously, she spent 20 years at Nike.
In another new role, Joseph Godsey was named COO. He joins the company from Walmart Canada, where he most recently served as chief growth officer.
With the changes, Nikki Neuburger, chief brand & product activation officer, and Ted Dagnese, chief supply chain officer, have left Lululemon.
•Pinterest Inc. tapped James Dibbo as CFO. He joins from Amazon, where he most recently served as VP and CFO for global entertainment, advertising and corporate development.
•David’s Bridal named Kathy Cherian as CFO. Most recently, she served as CFO of Magnolia. Previously, Cherian spent 12 years at Nike.
•Levi Strauss & Co. appointed John Vandemore as executive VP and CFO. He joins from Skechers, where he has served as CFO for the past nine years, leading the company's global financial organization.
•Sustainable footwear brand Rothy’s named Jenna Renfrew as chief product and merchandising officer. Renfrew joins Rothy’s from Target, where she served as the VP, women’s apparel merchandising and design collaborations for eight years.
