VF Corp. adds former Nike vet to board

VF Corporation on Monday announced the appointment of Trevor Edwards to the company’s board of directors, effective October 22.

A marketing, global brand and general management veteran, Edward boasts 25 years of experience across the apparel and footwear industries. 

From 2013 until 2018, Edwards was the president of Nike, Inc., reporting directly to the CEO, with oversight of the geographic regions, category business, direct-to-consumer units, product and merchandising divisions, global marketing, sales, and digital technology.

Between 1992 and 2013, he held other leadership roles at Nike including EVP global brand and category management, chief marketing officer, vice president marketing (US), and vice president marketing (EMEA).

He began his career at Colgate Palmolive in 1986, and served in positions of increasing responsibility, including global business development manager. In addition to VF Corp., he currently serves on the board of directors of Funko Inc., and previously served on Mattel Inc.’s board.

The executive currently serves as a strategic advisor to direct-to-consumer brands and investment firms.

At VF Corp., he will also serve on the U.S. apparel and footwear firm’s talent and compensation committee, as well as the governance and corporate responsibility committee.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Trevor to our board,” said chair of the VF board, Richard Carucci.

“He is a highly accomplished executive with extensive experience in apparel and footwear that will be valuable to VF as we continue to deepen our brands’ relationships with consumers, strengthen product innovation, and improve operational effectiveness. His experience will further strengthen the board’s depth of talent and is part of the board’s ongoing work to evaluate and regularly refresh its composition to ensure depth of expertise and diversity of perspectives.”

With the addition of Edwards, VF has appointed three new directors to its board over the past 18 months who collectively bring experience in footwear and apparel, retail, design, technology, and sustainability.

“I am excited to join the VF board at such an important time and look forward to contributing my experience and insights as the company looks to deepen its connections with consumers and adapt to evolving marketplace dynamics,” said Edwards.

“Having worked in the apparel and footwear industry for decades, I know and respect VF’s well-earned reputation and am a personal fan of its iconic brands and its purpose-driven culture. I’m eager to work alongside VF’s strong board and management team to build on that legacy and deliver stronger returns for shareholders.”

The appointment comes just weeks after activist investor Engaged Capital took a stake in VF Corp., adding it wants the owner of the Vans and Supreme Brands to make divestitures to pay down debt. 

Engaged said on October 18 that the Denver-based company should hire advisers to review non-core divestitures and publicly commit to no further acquisitions, according to Reuters report.

VF and other apparel makers have been struggling with supply chain challenges and brand relevance in recent years. The company, which also controls the North Face and Dickies brands, hired a new chief executive officer in June amid soft sales growth.