David’s Bridal names new COO, CFO in executive shuffle

Following its July acquisition by an investment firm, David’s Bridal is promoting executives to two key C-level positions as part of a wider internal management overhaul.

David’s Bridal, which  filed for bankruptcy in April 2023 and closed on the sale of substantially all its assets to Cion Investment Corp. in July 2023, is making a number of significant promotions.

Bob Walker, who joined David’s Bridal in 2019 to serve as chief retail officer, has been promoted to COO, reporting directly to CEO Jim Marcum, Walker will maintain leadership of the field sales team and store operations, with the addition of the contact center. He will assume the responsibility of running real estate and loss prevention, as well.

Kelly Cook, who joined David’s Bridal in 2019 to serve as executive VP, chief marketing & IT officer, has been promoted to president, brand, technology and finance, reporting to Jim Marcum, CEO. Cook will retain ownership of the marketing and technology functions and will assume responsibility for the finance organization.

In addition, Rob Cooper, who joined David’s Bridal in 2006, working in the financial planning and analysis function, has been promoted to CFO, reporting directly to Cook. Cooper has over 25 years’ experience in retail and will lead the finance team and become a member of the executive leadership team. Cooper assumes the role from departed CFO Charles Lockyer, who moved on from the organization.

Other new promotions include:

• Nancy Viall, who joined David’s Bridal in 2020 to serve as chief merchandising, design, and inventory management officer, has been promoted to president, merchandising and supply chain, reporting directly to Marcum. Viall will retain ownership of the merchandising and product development functions, and will assume the responsibility for supply chain, including the operation of distribution centers.
• Andrea Dauphinee joined David’s Bridal in 2018 to serve as senior VP, HR. She will now serve as chief human resources officer, reporting directly to Marcum, and will continue to lead the people function at David’s Bridal.

“Brides turn to us during one of the most important moments of their lives, and our incredible leadership team ensures our organization is ready to meet our customers’ every need. Kelly, Nancy, Bob, Rob, and Andrea are exceptional leaders with the strategic acumen to guide David’s into its next era of success,” said Jim Marcum, CEO of David's Bridal. "They have played key roles throughout the past few years, helping us navigate the pandemic, its aftereffects, and positioning us for the future as we continue to help make dreams come true.”