VF Corp alters EMEA leadership structure, creates two new positions

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Nov 28, 2017

VF Corporation is changing the leadership structure of its Jeanswear portfolio for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The company announced on Monday that Johan De Niel and Peter Kats have been promoted to VP, Brand Wrangler EMEA and VP, Brand Lee EMEA, respectively, and created two new positions: Senior Sales Director of VF Jeanswear EMEA and Senior DTC Director of VF Jeanswear EMEA, which will be held by Daniel Larsson and Johan Vercammen, respectively.
 

De Niel and Kats will lead their respective design, product, merchandising and marketing teams, and will both report to Massimo Ferrucci, President, VF Jeanswear EMEA, who will continue to lead the company’s Jeanswear portfolio in Europe.

De Niel joined VF in 1981 and has held several leadership positions at Lee. He most recently served as VP, Product & Marketing. Kats has spent less time at VF, having joined the company in 2013 as VP, Sales at Vans. He joined the Lee team in 2016 as VP, Sales.

Larsson, who joined VF in 2007 and previously served as Strategic Key Accounts Director at The North Face, will lead a unified team for both Lee and Wrangler across EMEA as Senior Sales Director of VF Jeanswear, and Vercammen will be responsible for direct-to-consumer development in his new role. Vercammen joined VF in 2010 and previously served as DTC Director at Kipling.
 
“We are continuously working within the VF global organization to draw on synergies across our brand portfolio. From sustainable supply chain operations to product innovation that excites and inspires our consumers, our One VF approach to business enables us to leverage the best programs, plans and people across our business to fuel success,” said Ferrucci.
 
“The newly announced management structure will position us to realize this strategic imperative across our Jeanswear brands, bringing us closer to the consumer and establishing an even stronger foundation for the future of both brands in EMEA.”
 
The Switzerland-based parent company of Lee and Wrangler issued in early 2017 its 2021 growth plan, designed to deliver revenue growth at a five-year compounded annual growth rate of between 4% to 6%. VF’s international business is expected to lead the growth, alongside the company’s top brands and its direct-to-consumer business.
 
VF reported in October a 1% decrease in revenue for its Jeanswear division.