Victoria’s Secret CEO resigns after less than a year on the job

In an unexpected move, the chief executive of Victoria’s Secret is leaving.

In a corporate filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Victoria’s Secret & Co. said that Amy Hauk, CEO of its namesake brand and also of Pink, has told the company she plans to resign, effective March 31. Following her departure, company CEO Martin Waters will take over as CEO of the brand. 

Hauk was named CEO of Victoria’s Secret in a corporate restructuring in July 2022, after serving as CEO of Pink since 2018.  

She joined Bath & Body Works in 2008, and was promoted to chief merchant and executive VP of merchandising in 2012 and led critical work “to evolve and elevate product positioning driving explosive growth for the brand,” according to her bio on the company’s website. (Victoria’s Secret & Co. and Bath & Body Works were spun off as their own companies in August 2021.)

Prior to Bath & Body Works, Hauk held a variety of merchandising leadership roles at Disney Store/The Children’s Place. She spent seven years prior (from 1995 to 2002) at Gap Inc., growing her career from merchandise manager, Baby Gap, to VP, men’s merchandising, Old Navy.  

According to a report by WWD.com, Hauk is leaving Victoria’s Secret “in order to spend more time with her family in Florida.”

The news of Hauk’s resignation comes as Victoria’s Secret & Co. completed the acquisition of Adore Me, a digitally native intimates brand known for its inclusive sizing and body positivity.

The retailer said it will leverage Adore Me’s expertise and technology to continue to improve the Victoria’s Secret and Pink customer shopping experience and accelerate the modernization of its digital platform. Adore Me will serve as an important long-term growth vehicle for VS&Co, generating an estimated $250 million of profitable sales in their most recently completed fiscal year 2022, the company said.