Dive Brief: 

• VF Corp. tapped Todd Dalhausser as the global brand president of Dickies and made other changes to the executive leadership positions after the company’s CEO abruptly resigned late last year. 
• Dalhauser was previously brand president of Altra, a running shoe brand under VF Corp. Additionally, Jen McLaren, previously the brand president for Smartwool, is now working in the same role for Altra. And Jan Van Mossevelde, the president of Icebreaker, is assuming additional responsibility for Smartwool. 
• The changes at the company — whose expansive brand portfolio includes Dickies, Vans, North Face and Timberland — are effective immediately, according to a news release last week. 

Dive Insight: 

The leadership reshuffling within VF Corp.’s brand portfolio comes as the company attempts to find its footing after its former CEO, Steve Rendle, unexpectedly stepped down in December. Rendle left as the company faced several financial hurdles, including falling revenue at Vans and growing debt on the balance sheet. 

The appointment of a leader at Dickies is key for VF Corp., as it is one of the company’s largest revenue drivers. The brand brought in $177 million during fiscal 2023’s third quarter, though this represented a 16% decline from the same period last year. 

Benno Dorer, VF Corp.’s interim president and CEO, praised Dalhausser’s appointment, calling him a “talented business leader” who oversaw consistent performance at Altra. 

“We have the right strategy in place for Dickies and believe Todd is the ideal leader to assume responsibility for the brand to accelerate its profitable growth by connecting innovative workwear to consumer lifestyle tailwinds,” Dorer said in a statement.

McLaren is stepping into the role of brand president at Altra after serving in the same role at Smartwool since 2018. Both are part of VF Corp.’s emerging brands portfolio, which collectively brought in about $510.1 million in fiscal 2023’s third quarter. 

The announcement lauded McLaren for her work expanding Smartwool's apparel and outerwear products. Along with leading Altra, McLaren will be responsible for shaping VF Corp.’s North American account management and driving engagement with the company’s large wholesale customers. 

Van Mossevelde, meanwhile, will straddle the Icebreaker and Smartwool brands. Although they will continue to operate separately, the brands will “collaborate on a cohesive strategy,” according to the news release. 

“These appointments in our Emerging Brands platform demonstrate our focus on putting strong leaders in critical roles,” Martino Scabbia Guerrini, a top VF Corp. executive who oversees the company’s emerging brands portfolio. “We are committed to fueling the momentum we have in our Emerging Brands and know that Jen and Jan are the right leaders with the right experience and capabilities to drive continued growth.”