Caleres Appoints Division President of New York Brands Portfolio
Caleres, the parent of Famous Footwear and the Stuart Weitzman, Allen Edmonds, Franco Sarto, Vince, Veronica Beard, and Favorite Daughter fashion footwear brands (”New York Brands:), has appointed Kristen Sosa as the division president of Brand Portfolio, New York Brands, a new position.
In this role, Beard is responsible for operations with oversight of the New York Brands portfolio. She reports to Jay Schmidt, president and CEO of Caleres.
“I am excited to lead these powerful brands at such an important time for Caleres,” said Sosa. “Caleres is a leader in fashion footwear, and its brands are positioned for growth. I look forward to working closely with the talented team to leverage my experience and drive meaningful impact.”
Sosa reportedly brings 30 years of leadership experience across luxury, fashion and retail. The company said she most recently served as CEO, North America at Zadig & Voltaire, where she drove growth across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Previously, she was president of the Americas at Marc Jacobs, leading regional retail and wholesale strategy.
Earlier in her career, Sosa served as chief merchant at Olivela, helping scale the luxury e-commerce startup. She began her career at Saks Fifth Avenue, rising to senior leadership roles across both the Saks Fifth Avenue and Off 5th divisions, including EVP, chief merchant and head of Digital.
“Kristen is a proven merchant leader with deep experience in fashion across all channels, particularly with expertise in contemporary and luxury. She has a strong track record of launching, scaling and revitalizing businesses,” said Schmidt. “Kristen is joining Caleres at a pivotal moment for the company as we continue to strengthen our portfolio of distinctive brands. She brings the strategic focus and operational discipline needed to drive our next phase of growth.”
Images courtesy Caleres, Inc. and Ned Rogers/Stuart Weitzman
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