Former PepsiCo, Nike, Apple exec joins C-suite at Gap

Gap, Inc. has tapped a retail marketing veteran as global chief marketing officer for its namesake brand.

Fabiola Torres has been named to the position, with the news first reported by Women’s Wear Daily and confirmed on her LinkedIn page.   

Torres joins the apparel retailer after four years at PepsiCo, most recently serving as senior VP and CMO of energy drinks and the company’s Hispanic business unit. Prior to that, she was at Apple’s Beats by Dre brand for almost three years, including serving as VP of global marketing. 

Before Apple, Torres spent 18 years at Nike in a variety of leadership roles, with her last position, from 2014 to 2017, as head of global sneaker culture. Before that, she was senior director of global marketing, Nike Retail.

“I couldn’t have asked for a more exciting week to start as a global chief marketing officer at Gap, an iconic brand with a compelling history that celebrates individuality and self-expression for all generations,” Torres wrote on LinkedIn, citing the custom gown that Gap Inc. executive VP and creative director Zac Posen created for actor Da'Vine Joy Randolph to wear at the 2024 Met Gala. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the next chapter of this brand, building its future and championing Gap’s amazing legacy.”

In a post on his LinkedIn page, Mark Breitbard, president and CEO global Gap brand, wrote: “We are thrilled to welcome Fabiola Torres to the Gap team as our Global Chief Marketing Officer. I'm excited to build on our momentum. Welcome, Faby!”

Torres’ appointment comes as Richard Dickson, who took the reins as CEO of Gap Inc. last August, continues to work to revitalize the namesake brand.

In an internal memo to employee reported by WWD,  Dickson, wrote that as global CMO, Torres “will bring our marketing, creative, visual merchandising, store experience and operations organizations together.”

“As we focus on reinvigorating Gap for the future, bringing these teams under one leader will provide a more cohesive experience across all markets and channels for our customers,” he continued.

For its fourth quarter, Gap’s namesake brand reported sales of $1.01 billion. Comparable sales rose 4%, driven by continued strength in women's, which gained market share for the fifth quarter in a row.