Levi’s implements changes to leadership structure
SAN FRANCISCO — The Levi’s brand has made significant management changes to its leadership structure in an effort to drive innovative product and consumer engagement campaigns around the globe.
“We’re evolving the Levi’s brand leadership team to include a global product creation, merchandising and marketing structure to help increase our share of consumers’ closets around the world,” said James “JC” Curleigh, EVP and president of the Levi’s brand. “We are confident that the changes we’re making will allow us to build on the brand’s heritage, expand the relationship with our loyal fans and continue to create innovative product solutions to connect with a new generation of fans.”
Jennifer Sey, the current SVP of e-commerce, will become the global chief marketing officer for the Levi’s brand, responsible for marketing strategies across all of the Levi’s brand product categories. She will report to Curleigh. Sey joined Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999 and has held a variety of leadership positions, including SVP of marketing for Dockers brand and VP of global marketing for the Levi’s brand. She led the global re-introduction of the Dockers brand via the Wear the Pants campaign, the global re-launch of Levi’s 501 jean in 2008 and the global repositioning of the Levi’s women’s business with the introduction of its Curve ID “shape not size” initiative. Prior to joining Levi Strauss &Co., Sey managed advertising at Banana Republic and also held a series of roles at Foote, Cone & Belding.
Karyn Hillman is joining the company in the newly created position of chief product officer for the Levi’s brand. In this role, Hillman will be responsible for developing innovative product assortments and creating compelling product stories across the men’s and women’s businesses worldwide. She will also report to Curleigh. Hillman was most recently the global head of product creation at Calvin Klein jeans and accessories. Prior to that she was a key leader at Gap Inc. for 20 years in a variety of roles, including SVP of merchandising for Gap brand where she oversaw women’s, men’s, accessories and Gap Body.
Grant Barth, current head of the men’s merchandising team for the Levi’s brand, will take the newly created position of chief merchandising officer and report to Curleigh. Barth joined the company in early 2013 from Nike, Inc. where he led global merchandising efforts across many categories, including sportswear, running and technical outerwear. During his 16 years at Nike, Barth spent a significant amount of time in Asia leading product development in emerging markets.
Jonathan Cheung, current VP of merchandising for men’s tops, will be the new head of design for the Levi’s brand. In this role, he will be responsible for both the men’s and women’s design teams and will report to Hillman. Cheung joined the company in 2009 as the lead designer for the Levi’s Made & Crafted collection. Prior to joining Levi Strauss & Co., he was head of global research for Armani Jeans, created the first jeans collection for Iceberg and was a lead designer with Moschino.
Levi Strauss & Co. designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi’s, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. and Denizen brands. Its products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites and a global footprint of approximately 2,900 retail stores and shop-in-shops.