Roots on hunt for a new CEO

The chief executive of Roots Canada has left the company.

The outdoor lifestyle brand announced that it has appointed Meghan Roach as interim CEO, effective immediately. She succeeds Jim Gabel, who had served in the post since February 2016. Roots did not say why Gabel left. But in a statement, board chairman Erol Uzumeri said “the board believes that Roots requires renewed leadership to carry the company into its next phase – executing on profitable growth opportunities while enhancing operational efficiency.”

Roach joins Roots from Searchlight Capital Partners, the company’s largest shareholder. She served on the Roots board from 2015 to 2017, and has acted as interim CFO of the company since August. (Roots recently named a permanent CFO, Mona Kennedy.)

“Since joining Roots, she has played a key role in driving major operational initiatives, drawing on her experience with prominent global brands,” said Uzumeri. “As the CEO search process takes place, the board of directors is confident that Meghan will be a capable and impactful steward of the company, and will provide decisive leadership along with incoming CFO, Mona Kennedy, and the rest of the executive team."

Roots has engaged a leading international search firm to identify a permanent CEO.

As at November 2, 2019, Roots had 115 corporate-retail stores in Canada, seven corporate-retail stores in the United States, 114 partner-operated stores in Taiwan, 35 partner-operated stores in China, one partner-operated store in Hong Kong and a global e-commerce platform.