STEVE MURRAY NAMED GLOBAL BRAND PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH FACE

VF Corporation has made some organizational changes in support of its ongoing business model transformation and to ensure greater alignment in the management of its core and emerging brands portfolio.

With these changes, the leaders of VF’s three core brands (Vans, The North Face, and Timberland) and its emerging brands (all other brands in its portfolio) now report directly to chairman, president, and CEO, Steve Rendle.

Among the changes, Steve Murray has been tapped as the global brand president of The North Face. Previously VF’s president of the Americas region, Murray replaces Arne Arens who has stepped down to pursue other opportunities outside of VF. The company has now eliminated the role of president of the Americas.

In appointing Murray to global brand president of The North Face, VF is tapping into Murray’s extensive experience built over a successful 30-year career leading several global apparel and footwear brands. Murray served as president of Vans following VF’s acquisition of the brand in 2004 and was later appointed as president of VF’s Action Sports Coalition in 2009. He has also held leadership roles with iconic youth brands, including serving as CEO of Airwair International (Dr. Martens), global brand president of Urban Outfitters, and EMEA president for Deckers Brands. Earlier in his career, Murray was the global head of apparel for Reebok International.

Martino Scabbia Guerrini, president of the EMEA region, is also now the interim global brand president for Timberland. Scabbia Guerrini continues to lead the Timberland brand while the company seeks a permanent global brand president.

Doug Palladini, global brand president of Vans, and Kevin Bailey, president of the Asia Pacific region and emerging brands, will also report to Rendle.

“As we work to become a more integrated brand-building company, we must operate differently and manage our core and emerging brands in differentiated ways in order to help each of them achieve their full potential,” said Rendle. “As we do this, it’s critical that we place our strongest talent on our most important opportunities to drive long-term, sustainable growth across our portfolio and in all geographies.”

“Steve is an incredibly strong and well-respected leader who knows our industry inside and out,” added Rendle. “I look forward to working even more closely with him, Doug, Martino, and Kevin to accelerate our business model transformation and pursue the many opportunities ahead for all brands in the VF portfolio.”