The altering of the guards at Levi Strauss & Co. is about to occur Jan. 29 — when Chip Bergh will formally hand over the job of chief govt officer to Michelle Gass.
Whereas the precise timing was not clear earlier than, the changeover has been anticipated since November 2022, when Gass was tapped to be president, answerable for the Levi model, and CEO-in-waiting.
Bob Eckert, chairman of the denim firm, stated: “We want to thank Chip for his inspirational management and unwavering dedication to the corporate over the past 12-plus years. Chip has reworked this firm and can depart it much better than when he arrived. I do know we are going to proceed to learn from Chip’s strategic perspective as he continues to serve on the corporate’s board.”
Bergh is credited with taking what was largely a males’s wholesale denims enterprise within the U.S. and turning it into a world, direct-to-consumer pushed firm that now has a a lot stronger place in girls’s and rising model relevance.
Bergh has been elected govt vice chair of the board and can maintain the title till his retirement April 26. He then will keep on as a senior adviser by the tip of the yr.
“It has been an unbelievable privilege to steer this nice firm as CEO,” Bergh stated. “I wish to particularly thank my group, the board of administrators and the household shareholders for all their help by the years. The Levi’s model is the strongest it has ever been, and as we pivot to develop into extra of an omnichannel, direct-to-consumer retailer, it’s time for brand new management.”
Gass, who logged stints at Procter & Gamble and Starbucks earlier than working her method as much as CEO of Kohl’s Corp., can have had greater than a yr to be taught the ropes at Levi’s earlier than taking up the nook officer.
“Up to now yr, Chip and I’ve traveled the globe, and I’ve had the privilege of assembly many members of the LS&Co. group,” she stated. “These interactions have solely underscored my confidence within the unbelievable potential of our enterprise, the energy of our manufacturers and the ability of the corporate’s values-driven, profits-through-principles method. I’m extremely excited to steer our superb group and to appreciate our ambition of changing into a world-class direct-to-consumer retailer. As we construct on our 170-year legacy, I’m extra assured than ever that we’ve got the appropriate group and methods in place to unleash the following period of sustainable, worthwhile progress for LS&Co.”
