Wayfair names new CFO
There’s going to be a changing of the guard in Wayfair’s C-suite.
The online home furnishings giant said that CFO Michael Fleisher is retiring. He will be succeeded by Wayfair chief people officer Kate Gulliver, who is being promoted to the role of senior VP, CFO and chief administrative officer, effective in November.
Fleisher, who joined Wayfair in 2013 as CFO, will stay on for a transition period until his retirement on January 15, 2023.
“I’m a 100% believer in Wayfair’s future and will proudly remain a long term shareholder,” said Fleisher. “I made a commitment to myself and my family years ago to retire on this timeline and have been working to ensure a smooth transition to my successor. Kate is uniquely qualified to take on this role and to continue to propel Wayfair’s growth story.”
Gulliver joined Wayfair in 2014 as head of investor relations after a career at Bain Capital as an investor. Prior to that, she was a consultant at McKinsey as a consultant.
Gulliver was a core part of Wayfair’s IPO and helped develop the company’s relationships with many of its current investors, according to a Wayfair release. She then built up the company’s talent organization, and she has been responsible for global human capital management including recruiting, organizational design, talent management, talent analytics, compensation and learning and development.
“Kate, Michael and I have been working side-by-side, literally, for the past eight years, and no one is better positioned to step into this role than Kate,” said Niraj Shah, CEO, co-chairman and co-founder, Wayfair. “She is a trusted counselor and has been part of every major decision at the company since becoming head of Talent. She is exceptional at balancing strategic vision, financial discipline, business savvy and people leadership.”
With Gulliver’s move, Paul Toms, VP, marketplace, Wayfair, has been appointed to lead the talent team as VP, chief people officer. He will assume the position on June 1 as Gulliver begins to transition roles.