Retailers see CEO shifts—and create new chief roles—to start the year

Looks like retail execs, especially CEOs, took the classic “new year, new you” mantra to heart this month, because a ton of chief executives kicked off the year with new roles. Here are the month’s most noteworthy moves:

• Dollar Tree tapped former Dollar General CEO Rick Dreiling as its new CEO, replacing Mike Witynski, who had been with the retailer since 2010.
• Capri Holdings announced that Versace COO Cedric Wilmotte will serve as CEO of Michael Kors.
• LVMH appointed Christian Dior CEO Pietro Beccari as Louis Vuitton CEO. Delphine Arnault, Louis Vuitton’s EVP of product and daughter of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, is also reportedly considering taking on a new role.
• Heyward Donigan, CEO of Rite Aid, stepped down from his position, with board member Elizabeth Burr replacing him in the interim.
• Stitch Fix CEO Elizabeth Spaulding exited her role amid layoffs that affected 20% of its workforce, with founder Katrina Lake reasumming the top post in the interim.
• Designer Brands said DSW president Doug Howe will take on the CEO role starting April 1, with current CEO Roger Rawlins staying on as a strategic advisor over the next year.
• Victoria’s Secret and Pink brand CEO Amy Hauk resigned from her role, effective at the end of March, with Victoria’s Secret & Co. CEO Martin Waters absorbing her role. She took over the Victoria’s Secret CEO role in July, but had served as Pink chief since 2018.
• John E. Koryl, formerly a digital exec at Canadian Tire Corporation, is joining the TheRealReal as CEO.
• And while grocer Hy-Vee originally said it planned to have two CEOs, it decided that only one of its named successors—Jeremy Gosch—will serve in the top spot, while the other, Aaron Wiese, will report to Gosch as president.

Fresh roles: Several retailers also introduced new chief positions this month.

• Neiman Marcus created two new roles: Nabil Aliffi, formerly global chief creative officer at Soho House & Co, will serve as its chief brand officer, while its new chief retail officer, Stefanie Tsen Ward, has been an exec at the company since 2018.
• Lululemon also added a new position, chief merchandising officer, filled by Elizabeth Binder. She joins from UK apparel company Boden, where she was chief product officer.
• Impossible Foods’ first chief demand officer is CPG vet Sherene Jagla.
• Jason Gowans, VP of digital commerce at Nordstrom, joined Levi’s as its first chief digital officer as the brand looks to grow its e-commerce and digital operations.