ABERCROMBIE & FITCH FINALLY NAMES A CEO

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has announced that Fran Horowitz, president and chief merchandising officer, has been promoted to chief executive officer of the company.  Joanne Crevoiserat, executive vice president and chief financial officer, has been promoted to chief operating officer while continuing in her current roles.  Arthur Martinez will continue in the role of executive chairman.  These appointments are effective immediately. Horowitz will also join the company’s Board of Directors.

With Horowitz’s appointment, the Office of the Chairman, which has been leading the company since December 2014, has been dissolved.

Horowitz, 53, has served as president and chief merchandising officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. since December 2015.  She joined Abercrombie & Fitch as Hollister brand president in October 2014 from Ann Taylor Loft, where she also held the role of brand president.  For nearly eight years, she worked at Express, Inc., rising to the position of executive vice president of women’s merchandising and design.  She joined Express, Inc. after 13 years in several merchandising roles at Bloomingdales, prior to which she served in various positions at Bergdorf Goodman, Bonwit Teller and Saks Fifth Avenue.

“Fran’s appointment to CEO reflects the leadership she has shown in the turnaround of Hollister, our efforts to provide a compelling, customer-focused shopping experience at both of our brands and, while we have more work to do, the repositioning of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand,” said Martinez.  “She is a talented, creative and dedicated executive who has energized our team around important cultural values, a customer-centric mindset and a commitment to assuring our Company’s success.  Fran’s efforts have earned her the respect of the Board and associates throughout our global operations.  We are confident that as CEO, she is the right person to lead the company forward.”

“It is an honor to lead Abercrombie & Fitch’s efforts to strengthen our performance and reignite our growth,” said added Horowitz. “We have made solid progress in our efforts to listen to and provide our customers with shopping experiences that exceed their expectations.  I am pleased to have Joanne, an extremely talented executive, as my partner in leading a best-in-class organization.  I am excited to work with her and the rest of the extraordinary team we have built to position Abercrombie & Fitch for future success.”