Dive Brief:
- Wacoal America CEO Mitchell Kauffman has retired, according to a Thursday press release. Kauffman will remain on the intimates company’s board as an adviser to support a chief executive transition and new initiatives.
- Wacoal America President James Wheatley has been named the company’s new president and CEO. He joined the company in 2019 and has prior experience at J.C. Penney, VF Corporation and more, per his LinkedIn account.
- Kauffman joined Wacoal America in 2016 and retires from a 40-year career in the intimate apparel industry.
Dive Insight:
Wacoal America is switching up its CEO as it aims to earn industry leadership through fit authority and emotional relevance with women.
“After six remarkable years leading this organization, the time has come for me to retire,” Kauffman said in a statement. “I leave with tremendous confidence, knowing that Wacoal's future is in the hands of an extraordinary management team and a new leader in James Wheatley, someone with the experience, drive, and vision to take Wacoal America forward in a rapidly changing industry, while honoring everything this company has been built on."
The brand has recently enacted a series of growth-focused moves, such as the opening of two new stores — one in Ohio and one in South Carolina — with more store expansion planned, per the release. Wacoal America is also launching a newly redesigned website and its parent company, Wacoal International Corporation, earlier this month announced the acquisition of DTC plus-size intimates brand Glamorise Foundations. Also under Kauffman’s leadership, the company bought DTC brand Lively for $85 million in 2019.
"Wacoal has spent over 75 years earning the trust of women around the world, and 40 of those years building something truly special here in the United States," Wheatley said in a statement. "We are entering a moment of real change in retail and our industry, and I see it as an opportunity to lead. I am deeply committed to the culture Mitch and his predecessors have built here, and equally committed to pushing Wacoal America forward into what comes next."
