Jerome Griffith has officially assumed the CEO role at Lands’ End three months after being named to the position in December 2016. He has also joined the Lands’ End Board of Directors. Griffith succeeds Joseph Boitano and James Gooch, who served as co-interim CEOs since September 2016 when CEO Federica Marchionni was forced to step down after less than two years in the role.
Griffith has experience in outdoor consumer goods as well as fashion and apparel, most recently serving as President and CEO at luggage brand Tumi Holdings from April 2009 until its sale in August 2016 to Samsonite International. He previously held executive roles at global fashion brands Esprit Holdings Limited and Tommy Hilfiger.
With the hiring, Lands’ End aims to turn around a business that has struggled mightily in recent years. In Q3, the company experienced a $7.2 million net loss, with retail segment net revenue dipping 15.6% to $39.3 million. In an effort to reach a wider audience and adapt to changing consumer habits, Lands’ End courted controversy with its September 2016 decision to sell its merchandise on Amazon.
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Boitano and Gooch have returned full-time to their previous roles: Boitano as EVP and Chief Merchandising and Design Officer; and Gooch as EVP, Chief Operating and Financial Officer and Treasurer.
