The North Face Taps Two Former Nike Execs for Top Marketing & Merchandising Positions
The North Face has made a pair of executive hires.
Sophie Bambuck has been hired as the outdoor brand’s chief marketing officer, and Jennifer Ingraffea is now the chief product and merchandising officer at The North Face. Both Bambuck and Ingraffea will assume the roles effective immediately.
The North Face said adding Bambuck and Ingraffea to these roles will help drive marketing and product innovations for its next phase of growth.
“Sophie and Jennifer are the perfect consumer-centric leaders with deep experience driving both marketing innovation and product growth to help lead The North Face thorough its next phase of growth,” The North Face global brand president Nicole Otto said in a statement. “As we continue to focus on consumer connections through innovative product, I know Sophie and Jennifer’s expansive industry expertise will help accelerate our own business and elevate our world-class global marketing and product development efforts to strengthen The North Face.”
Prior to The North Face, Bambuck has had stints at footwear and sportswear leaders in her 20-plus years of experience including Everlane, Nike and Converse. In her new role, she will be tasked with advancing the brand’s marketing efforts and drive organizational growth.
As for Ingraffea, her more than 20 years of experience includes stops at Nike and Gap, including nearly 20 years at the athletic powerhouse. The North Face said Ingraffea will lead its global product strategy and develop growth objectives across apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories in the role.
The North Face said both roles will serve as part of its executive leadership team alongside Otto, who joined the company in June 2022 after spending 16 years at Nike. Otto succeeded Steve Murray, who was set to retire and return to the UK.
In July, The North Face parent VF Corp. announced its fiscal Q3 2023 results. For the three month period ending July 2, the company’s revenue was $2.3 billion, up 3% year-over-year. VF Corp. said its big four brands — Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies — were up 2%, and the balance of its portfolio was up 9%.
Specifically for The North Face, the outdoor brand’s revenue was $0.5 billion for the quarter, a 31% climb year-over-year.
