The North Face: head of Europe to lead US business
Jan Van Leeuwen is set to become general manager of the Americas at The North Face.
His 11-year track record with VF Corp in Europe, first at Vans and then as general manager of The North Face since 2018, convinced the brand's new global brand president, Nicole Otto, to entrust him with The North Face's US operations.
After gaining experience at Puma and Nike as a sales manager, Van Leeuwen held leadership positions at O'Neill and then at board brand specialist Sole Technology.
"The brand has continued to go from strength to strength before, during and after periods of extreme disruption [...] Driven by purpose and always being agile to serve our consumers through authentic product stories, engaging brand activations, holistic market and channel management, all executed with precision. I am excited to begin the next part of my journey and continue to move the world forward through exploration with The North Face community in the Americas," said Van Leeuwen.
His exact starting date has not yet been made official, with the brand stating that the transition will happen over the next few months. The challenge is major for the executive who will take up his new responsibilities after the VF Group has presented its new five-year plan.
By 2027, The North Face, which had a turnover of 3.3 billion dollars (3.36 billion euros) in its last fiscal year, is aiming for an average annual growth rate of around 10% (compound annual growth rate). The Americas is obviously a priority in this roadmap. The group is counting on a tripling of its sales of footwear and products in the hiking, trail and "active" categories, but also a doubling of sales in its network to the brand. The North Face could potentially be worth more than $5.3 billion by the end of the implementation of this plan.
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