Apparel industry veteran Caroline Brown joins VF board

VF Corporation has announced the appointment of Caroline Brown to the company’s board of directors, effective February 14, 2024.

This appointment follows constructive engagement with VF’s shareholders, including Engaged Capital. The company said in a statement that VF also intends to appoint to the board another independent director in the near term and will give priority to considering the candidates who have been identified by Engaged Capital.

The company added that VF expects Brown and the additional director will be nominated at VF’s 2024 AGM, after which the board will comprise 13 directors, including no more than 11 of VF’s current directors.

“Caroline is highly respected in the apparel industry, with a proven track record of turning around, scaling and transforming global brands, and her insights will be valuable as the company continues to execute its Reinvent strategy,” said Richard Carucci, chair of the VF board.

Brown brings over 30 years of experience to VF at global companies in the apparel and fashion sector.

From 2019 to 2023, she was a managing director at Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm and innovation centre focused on the development of the circular economy, where she led the firm’s fashion practice.

Former CEO of Donna Karan joins VF Corp board of directors

Brown previously served as chief executive officer of Donna Karan International and DKNY from 2015 to 2017. During that time, she led the company through the sale from LVMH to G-III Apparel Group. Prior to that, Brown was president of Carolina Herrera, a luxury fashion house owned by PUIG.

“I believe VF has what it needs to return to strong and sustainable profitable growth, and I look forward to capitalising on my experience to help the company deliver enhanced value for shareholders over time,” added Brown.

Prior to that, she served as the U.S. 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 of innovative companies in the fashion industry including Eileen Fisher, Browzwear, Dimpora, By Rotation, For Days, and others. She is a member of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative advisory board and is an advisor to the Martin trust center for entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management.