LANDS’ END TAPS JEROME GRIFFITH AS NEXT CEO
Global lifestyle brand Lands’ End, Inc. has announced that its Board of Directors has named Jerome Griffith to be the company’s next chief executive officer, effective March 6, 2017. He will also join the Lands’ End Board of Directors.
Griffith will succeed Joseph Boitano and James Gooch, who have served as co-interim CEOs since September 26, 2016, when the company announced its search for a permanent CEO. Boitano and Gooch will continue to serve as co-interim CEOs until Griffith assumes his new role.
Most recently, Griffith served as the chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of directors of Tumi Holdings, Inc. from April 2009 until its sale in August 2016 to Samsonite International S.A., where he now serves as a non-executive director. From 2002 to February 2009, he was employed at Esprit Holdings Limited, a global fashion brand, where he was promoted to chief operating officer and appointed to the board in 2004, then promoted to president of Esprit North and South America in 2006.
He has also served executive positions at Tommy Hilfiger, J. Peterman Company, and Gap, Inc. Griffith is also a member of the board of Vince Tom Tailor SE, Samsonite, and Parsons, The New School of Design.
“After a comprehensive search conducted by Heidrick & Struggles, we are thrilled to welcome Jerome Griffith as Lands’ End’s next CEO,” said Josephine Linden, chairman of the Board of Lands’ End. “Jerome is an exceptionally gifted leader with an impressive track record of spearheading growth and expansion at several iconic apparel and consumer goods companies. Over the course of his career, Jerome has demonstrated a special talent for innovation in design and functionality to attract new customers while upholding the quality, value, service, and products that current customers love. As Lands’ End continues its evolution at the forefront of the retail industry, we believe Jerome’s experience and tactical execution will improve financial performance and build sustainable long-term value for stockholders.”
“I am delighted to join Lands’ End as the organization enters its next phase of growth and development,” said Griffith. “By focusing and building on its core brand values and its heritage of delivering quality, value and service, I believe Lands’ End is well positioned to innovate and grow as a global leader in classic American sportswear. I look forward to working with the entire Lands’ End team to drive the company forward in a way that expands and strengthens its bonds with its customers while creating compelling value for all of its stakeholders.”