Old Navy names Michael Francis as chief customer officer

Gap Inc. has appointed a former advisor of Old Navy to the role of chief customer officer of the brand. Michael Francis will take up the executive position alongside the role of head of marketing shared services for the group.

Francis has previously served as president of JCPenney, chief marketing officer at Target, and chief global brand officer at Dreamworks Animation. He has also advised organisations such as Walmart on brand strategy and business transformation.

At Old Navy, where he will report to brand CEO Haio Barbeito, Francis has been tasked with leading end-to-end customer strategy, strengthening brand storytelling, customer engagement, and customer experience.

In a statement, Barbeito said Old Navy had “real momentum” and that Francis brought a “rare combination of strategic vision, creative instinct and commercial rigor” to the role.

He added: “As we continue to evolve the brand, Michael will help sharpen how we show up for customers and strengthen every connection they have with Old Navy.”

As head of marketing shared services for Gap, Francis will also have responsibility for media strategy and execution, with the goal of advancing integrated marketing capabilities across the group’s brands for the next phase of growth.

Francis said he was honoured to join Old Navy “at such an exciting moment”, adding that there was an “enormous opportunity ahead”.

He continued: “I’m excited to partner with Haio and the team to build on that momentum, elevate the customer experience and tell stories that are distinctive, modern and unmistakably Old Navy.”