Michelle Gass will exchange Chip Bergh as Levi Strauss CEO in January

Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh is looking it quits and handing the reins over to his long-anointed successor Michelle Gass, the previous CEO of Kohl’s, the corporate introduced on Thursday. 

Gass will take over the chief government place on January 29 whereas Bergh will formally retire on April 26. He’ll keep on as government vice chair of the board till then. As soon as he retires, he’ll function an advisor by means of the top of the fiscal 12 months. 

“Chip has transformed this company and will leave it far better than when he arrived. I know we will continue to benefit from Chip’s strategic perspective as he continues to serve on the company’s board,” mentioned Bob Eckert, the chairman of Levi’s board.

Bergh took over as Levi’s CEO in 2011, and is certainly one of only a handful of people that has run the corporate and was not associated to its unique founder, Levi Strauss. Throughout Bergh’s tenure, he led Levi’s by means of its March 2019 IPO, its acquisition of Past Yoga and its deeper enlargement into girls’s choices.

He additionally remodeled the corporate right into a direct-to-consumer powerhouse that’s now not solely reliant on its wholesale companions. In doing so, reinvigorated the Levi’s model and stored it related regardless of its 170-year lengthy legacy.

“The Levi’s brand is the strongest it has ever been, and as we pivot to become more of an omni-channel, direct-to-consumer retailer, it is time for new leadership,” Bergh mentioned in an announcement. “While I’ve known Michelle for more than a decade, my time working closely with her this past year has given me great confidence that her experience, track record of innovation and impact, and passion for the business will position the company for sustainable, profitable growth and significant shareholder and stakeholder value creation.”

Levi’s appointed Gass as its subsequent CEO in November 2022. She began at Levi’s in January, and was answerable for main the corporate’s namesake model, together with its product, merchandising and advertising and marketing capabilities, together with its digital and international business operations. She has set her sights on boosting worldwide progress and transitioning the corporate right into a direct-to-consumer first group.

“I am honored to be stepping in to lead this iconic brand and company, one that I have deeply admired and respected for many years. Levi’s is more than a denim icon; it’s part of our cultural fabric and an enduring symbol of quality, innovation and progress,” Gass mentioned in an announcement.

That is breaking information. Please verify again for updates.