VF Corporation has announced 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.
Reporting to Rendle is the brand leadership team of Doug Palladini, global brand president, Vans; Steve Murray, global brand president, The North Face who was previously VF’s president of the Americas Region and replaces Arne Arens who has left the company to pursue other opportunities; Martino Scabbia Guerrini, president of the EMEA Region and interim global brand president for Timberland until a permanent replacement is hired; and Kevin Bailey, president of the Asia Pacific Region and Emerging Brands.
“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,” states 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.”
In appointing Murray to lead The North Face, VF is tapping into his 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.
“Steve is an incredibly strong and well-respected leader who knows our industry inside and out,” Rendle says. “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.”
