VF names Caroline Brown as global brand president of The North Face

VF Corporation has announced the appointment of Caroline Brown as global brand president of The North Face, starting the week of June 10, 2024.

The company said in a statement that Brown succeeds Nicole Otto and, as a result of her appointment, Brown has resigned as a member of the VF board of directors.

“With Caroline’s intense focus on brand building, product design, consumer insight, and innovation, I am confident The North Face will expand on its enormous power as a leading global outdoor brand and be a driving force behind VF’s growth and value creation,” said Bracken Darrell, VF’s president and chief executive officer.

Caroline Brown to join VF as The North Face brand president

The company added that Caroline Brown served as an independent director on the VF board from February 2024 to May 2024. She has extensive experience as a senior leader and board director in the fashion and apparel sector having led global companies and teams operating across the US, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, EU & UK regions.

Most recently she was a managing director at Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm and innovation centre focused on the circular economy, where she led the firm’s fashion practice. Brown previously served as chief executive officer of Donna Karan International (DKI) and DKNY. She led the company through the sale from LVMH to G-III Apparel Group.

Prior to DKI, Brown was president of Carolina Herrera, a luxury fashion house owned by PUIG, where she led the evolution in product development, brand architecture and international expansion. Previously, she served as the US chief executive officer of Akris, a Swiss-based luxury fashion brand. Brown began her career at Giorgio Armani, where she spent over a decade in marketing and communications leadership roles.

Brown has served on numerous boards, including Eileen Fisher (US), Browzwear (Israel), Dimpora (Switzerland), By Rotation (UK), For Days (US), and others. She is a member of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative advisory board and an advisor to the Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

She has also served as an advisor to the CFDA / VOGUE Fashion Fund and to the H&M Global Change Awards, supporting the development of future leaders & innovation for the industry.

VF appoints two new board members

VF also announced that Mindy Grossman and Kirk Tanner have been appointed independent directors on the VF board, effective May 30, 2024. Grossman and Tanner will stand for re-election at the 2024 AGM of VF shareholders. Benno Dorer has decided not to stand for re-election at the AGM.

Commenting on the new board appointments, Richard Carucci, chair of the VF board said: “Mindy and Kirk are proven leaders with extensive track records leading complex companies and supercharging the growth of global consumer brands through innovation, marketing and digital strategies. We look forward to benefiting from their insights as VF continues to improve execution and enhance innovation as part of its Reinvent strategy.”