Teen retailer names CEO — finally

For the first time since 2014, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has a chief executive.



The struggling retailer said it has promoted Fran Horowitz to the role of CEO. She will also join the company’s board of directors. A veteran fashion retailer, Horowitz joined Abercrombie in fall 2014 as brand president of Hollister Co. In 2015, she was tapped for the new position of president and chief merchandising officer of the entire company.



Before joining Abercrombie, Horowitz was brand president of Ann Taylor Loft. Prior to that, she held merchandising roles at Express, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Bonwit Teller and Saks Fifth Avenue.



Abercrombie has not had a CFO since December 2014, when controversial and longtime CEO Michael Jeffries retired. The search for a CEO to replace him ended in 2015 when Horowitz was appointed to the new position.



With Horowitz's appointment, the office of the chairman, which has been leading the company since Jeffries left, has been dissolved.



“Fran’s appointment to CEO reflects the leadership she has shown in the turnaround of Hollister, our efforts to provide a compelling, customer-focused shopping experience at both of our brands and, while we have more work to do, the repositioning of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand," said Arthur Martinez, executive chairman, Abercrombie & Fitch. "She is a talented, creative and dedicated executive who has energized our team around important cultural values, a customer-centric mindset and a commitment to assuring our company's success. We are confident that as CEO, she is the right person to lead the company forward."



In other appointments, Joanne Crevoiserat, previously executive VP and CFO, has been promoted to COO.