Spanx announces senior leadership appointments, names Kim Jones as CEO

Womenswear brand Spanx founded by Sara Blakely, has announced the promotion of Kim Jones to the role of chief executive officer, effective immediately.

A company veteran, the company said in a release, Jones most recently served as president and CFO, and in her new role, will oversee the company’s corporate strategy and global operations.

“Kim has worked for Spanx for 15 years and in addition to serving as CFO and president, she has been instrumental in the company’s growth from startup to the category-defining, digital-first apparel brand it is today,” said Blakely, executive chairwoman of the company.

Kim Jones takes over as CEO of Spanx

With over two decades of experience providing strategic leadership to high-growth companies, Jones has a 15-year tenure with the brand and was named president in 2018. Prior to Spanx, she was the chief executive officer at Sweetwater Brewing Company and, earlier in her career, she held finance positions at Ernst & Young, The Coca-Cola Company and EarthLink.

“I am honoured that Sara, Blackstone and our board have placed their trust in me in this incredibly exciting new chapter in the company’s growth journey. Our customers know us for best-in-class products, but what they may not realise is that we have a best-in-class team behind it all,” said Jones.

The company added that Jones worked alongside Blakely to secure Spanx’s first outside investment in 2021, when it was acquired by funds managed by Blackstone, a leading global investment firm, to accelerate the company’s already rapid digital transformation, expand its global footprint and fuel new product innovation.

Additional investors included Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Whitney Wolfe Herd, as well as female-founded investment funds G9 Ventures, founded by Amy Griffin, and Able Partners.

“Kim is one of those right brain, left brain leaders. She has a deep understanding of the operating side of the business and financial disciplines and has great instinct for the customer. I’ve learned so much from her over the past 15 years and have loved having her as a thought partner,” added Blakely.

Spanx announces series of senior leadership appointments

The company further said that Caroline (Cricket) Whitton has been promoted to president and will continue in her role as chief growth officer.

Since joining the company in 2017, Whitton has led the brand’s digital transformation earning 9X growth during her 5-year tenure at the brand. She has 15 years of experience driving digital growth for top retailers including Wayfair and Design Within Reach. In her role as president, she will oversee revenue and growth efforts globally including e-commerce, wholesale, growth marketing, international, digital product innovation and customer experience.

Misha Nonoo has been appointed as chief brand officer. She joins Spanx having served as CEO and creative director for her women's ready-to-wear line since its founding in 2011. Her business continues to run under separate management. Given her 15 years of experience working in the fashion sector, Nonoo will be responsible for shaping the creative vision and strategy for the company going forward.

Nonoo is known as an innovator in the fashion sustainability space and was a finalist in the 2013 Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund. She has also been named to the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 In Art & Style list and to Crain’s New York Business’ 40 under 40 in 2015.

Additionally, Martin Elliott has been appointed as chief financial officer, overseeing all financial functions at the company. He joined the company from MGA Entertainment, a global manufacturer of toys and entertainment products, where he drove profitable growth and corporate development initiatives, in addition to guiding business strategy, in his role as CFO.

Elliott brings more than 25 years of experience in financial planning and analysis, M&A and operational control and reporting, including as a strategic and business planning executive at Mattel, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company.

Coco Lu has been appointed as chief people officer overseeing all talent and human resource functions at the company. She began her career at Philips Electronics and Unilever and joined Spanx after a 15-year tenure with The Coca-Cola Company, serving most recently as global human resources director for their technical, innovation and supply chain function.

Nonoo, Elliott and Lu join chief information officer, Keith Miller; chief creative officer, Lisa Kulson; chief merchandising officer, Kiana Miree; and president, Cricket Whitton, on the executive team reporting to Jones.