Lands' End adds Saks, J.Crew vets to exec team

Lands' End is adding two highly regarded retail veterans to an executive team led by newly appointed CEO Federica Marchionni.

The company announced that Joseph Boitano is bringing his more than 30 years of retail and wholesale experience to a new role at Lands' End as executive vice president, chief merchandising and design officer and will lead all aspects of merchandising and design.

Boitano most recently served as group senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Saks Fifth Avenue for the past 15 years bringing a deep understanding of diverse customer segments, as well as geographic markets. While at Saks, he expanded the women's fashion offering, overseeing women's apparel designer, private label, diffusion lines and contemporary collections. In addition, Boitano oversaw omni-channel implementation, working closely with Saks Direct to create synergy between the direct and full-line business.

"I am thrilled to have Joe Boitano join Lands' End and help lead our merchandising and design strategy," said Federica Marchionni, CEO of Lands' End. "We look forward to utilizing his strong expertise and extensive experience in further developing our merchandising organization. We are focusing on creating compelling and relevant merchandise incorporating greater design and innovation to benefit our current loyal customers and embrace potential new ones."

The company said Scott Hyatt will also be coming on board as executive vice president, chief supply chain officer and will lead all aspects of the sourcing organization and will also be responsible for inventory planning and logistics.

Hyatt brings more than 30 years of extensive retail and sourcing experience to this role, most recently serving as the senior vice president of manufacturing and chief sourcing officer for J.Crew Group for the past 17 years where he focused on developing global sourcing strategies, building a stronger vendor base and improving product quality by managing all technical services, including testing, compliance, technical design and fit.

"Scott Hyatt brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team," said Ms. Marchionni. "His extensive career in the apparel industry along with a specialized background in global sourcing and product quality is extremely valuable. I am confident that his expertise will be a great asset to us as we adapt and optimize our sourcing and distribution strategy."

On June 1, Lands' End also hired Ian Velardi as a design director. Velardi, who comes most recently from Bonobos, an online apparel company, has received many prestigious industry awards and has an extensive background as an American menswear designer.