Vans Hires Former Lululemon Product Chief as Brand President

Sun Choe, who was Lululemon’s chief product officer until the company announced her departure last week, has been hired as Vans’ new global brand president, Vans-owner VF Corp. said in a release.

VF Corp. has been looking for ways to reignite sales at Vans, which had been the largest brand in its portfolio until its recent struggles. Sales at Vans plunged 24 percent year over year in the 12 months through March, leaving The North Face, which saw sales grow a modest 2 percent, VF Corp.’s biggest label by sales for the year. Bracken Darrell, president and chief executive of VF Corp., said at the time that turning around Vans would be a top priority in the year ahead.

Choe is a retail veteran who worked at companies including Marc Jacobs, Madewell and Urban Outfitters before joining Lululemon, where she was a longtime part of the leadership team and served as chief product officer for seven years. She’s credited with helping it to become a product-led company and expand into new categories, including footwear. She begins in her new role in late July.

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