Shuffle Board: Macy’s and REI Name Tech Execs, Saks COO Exits Amid Neiman Deal

Retail

Macy’s

Keith Credendino, currently senior vice president of technology product development, customer experience at Macy’s Inc. , has been appointed the company’s next chief information officer (CIO). Credendino, who has been with the company since 2022, will succeed Laura Miller in the role following her retirement on Aug. 3.

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Since Miller joined Macy’s in 2021, she has worked to modernize the company’s technology systems and operations as well as improving the retail group’s omnichannel experience. When Credendino assumes his new role as CIO on Aug. 4, he will report to Adrian Mitchell, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, leading the company’s efforts to become a “data-driven organization.”

Credendino, who previously held technology roles at Inspire Brands, The Home Depot, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Cox Enterprises, is currently heading up the company’s efforts to modernize the checkout process. During his tenure at Macy’s, Credendino’s focus has been on improving the experience for Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s customers across in-store and online channels. His team worked on personalization capabilities, the launch of the Macy’s Marketplace , made technology upgrades to enable website redesigns for both banners and revamped registries—including upgrades to Macy’s wedding registry experience and the launch of baby registries.

REI

REI Co-op has promoted Guillaume Ledieu to senior vice president, chief technology officer (CTO), effective immediately. Ledieu, who has been with the company since 2023 as vice president of foundation technology, will head up all of REI’s technology operations across employee, customer and member touchpoints. He will replace Dan Shull, who is leaving REI on July 12 to take on a “new opportunity.”

Prior to REI, Ledieu was vice president, business transformation at McCormick & Company. He has also held leadership roles at Glatfelter and Black & Decker.

Saks Fifth Avenue

After 12 years at Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), Saks’ chief operating officer (COO) RJ Cilley is exiting the retailer. News of HBC’s acquisition of Neiman Marcus broke last week.

As reported by Sourcing Journal’s sister publication Women’s Wear Daily, he is moving to a new industry, becoming the CEO of Voomi Supply, which specializes in HVAC and plumbing supplies.

Cilley had been COO of Saks since 2021, and during over a decade at the company, he spearheaded the launch of Saks’ marketplace and oversaw business operations such as fulfillment, international and customer service. At HBC, he held roles including chief digital officer and director of corporate development.

A Saks spokesperson told WWD the retailer “[has] a plan in place to fill the COO role.”

Brands

Birkenstock

Eyeing Southeast Asia’s “huge growth potential,” Birkenstock has created a new position to develop its foothold in the region. Evelyn Chua, the newly named managing director for South-East Asia and Down Under, started on July 1 and reports to Birkenstock Group’s chief sales officer Klaus Baumann. Based out of Singapore, Chua’s oversight includes Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.

In her new role, Chua will help further Birkenstock’s multichannel strategy. In a statement, she pointed to action items including opening stores and nurturing distributor relationships.

Chua comes to Birkenstock with more than 15 years of experience in retail across channels, including duty-free luxury retailer DFS Venture and e-commerce firm Synagie, where she was chief commercial officer.

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Nike

Tom Clarke, Nike’s president of advanced innovation, is taking on the new role of senior advisor on strategic growth initiatives, according to Sourcing Journal’s sister publication Footwear News. He will report to the company’s president and CEO John Donahoe. Succeeding Clarke as president of advanced innovation is John Hoke, the current chief innovation officer. Hoke has been at Nike for three decades, and was formerly the Swoosh brand’s chief design officer.

HanesBrands

HanesBrands has added Sharilyn Gasaway to its board of directors for a term that runs through the company’s 2025 annual stockholder meeting. Gasaway, a licensed CPA, was executive vice president and chief financial officer at Alltel Corporation and was part of the executive team that oversaw the company’s merger with Verizon. She will be on the board’s audit committee. “Sharilyn will play a critical role as we focus on accelerating debt reduction, consistent growth and cash flow generation,” said Steve Bratspies, CEO of HanesBrands.

Authentic Brands Group

Authentic Brands Group , the parent of brands including Eddie Bauer, Aeropostale and Brooks Brothers, has named Jeff Daggett senior vice president, head of Japan, putting the former Gap, Levi’s and Nike exec in charge of growing its brands in the Japanese market. Daggett’s three decades of experience also includes work at entertainment firms including Disney and NBC Universal.

Based in Tokyo, Daggett started his new role on July 1 and reports to Wesley Chu, regional president APAC at Authentic.

Boohoo

Boohoo Group has named Sophie Rycroft as the British brand’s new responsible sourcing director, succeeding Andrew Reaney.

Rycroft has been promoted from her position as head of sourcing and ethical trade, a role that she has held since 2023. Joining Boohoo as a buyer in 2013, she ascended to lead buyer three years later and head of buying in 2018.

Rycroft began her career in fashion at now-defunct Arcadia group, the former owner of brands like Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Debenhams, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis and Warehouse, with a tenure spanning six years.

Raw Materials

Lenzing

Florian Heubrandner, formerly executive vice president of commercial textiles at Lenzing Group , is taking on a new role within the group, and the wood-based fiber producer has named Kit Ping Au-Yeung as his successor. Effective immediately, Au-Yeung will be leading the company’s textile business, including expansion strategies for its Tencel and Ecovero branded fibers.

As the new executive vice president of commercial textiles, Au-Yeung will lead the work to create new fiber and application offerings for the industry. She comes to Lenzing with decades of textile experience, including former leadership roles at Coats Group and Amann Group.

Heubrandner started as executive vice president of filament on July 1, supporting the expansion of the company’s filament business.

Real Estate

CBRE

Commercial real estate firm CBRE has added Gunjan Soni to its board of directors effective July 15, tapping into her technology and international business background. Based in Singapore, Soni is the CEO of fashion e-commerce platform Zalora and chief operating officer of its parent company Global Fashion Group. Earlier in her career, Soni was a software engineer, and she was also previously a partner at McKinsey & Company.

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