Canada Goose names first chief digital officer in quest for DTC sales

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Dive Brief:

• Shortly after announcing a new five-year strategy, Canada Goose made a slew of executive appointments, including naming its first chief digital officer and bringing on a chief transformation officer.
• Joining the company are Juliette Streichenberger, president of Canada Goose International AG and Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Matt Blonder, chief digital officer; and Daniel Binder, chief transformation officer and executive vice president of sales operations and planning.
• At the same time, President of North America Ana Mihaljevic will also become Canada Goose’s head of global stores, and Patrick Bourke, who previously led investor relations, will transition to senior vice president of strategy and corporate development. All in all, the retailer made five changes to its leadership team.

Dive Insight:

Canada Goose is bringing on a host of seasoned executives to lead its five-year strategy. 

Unveiled in February, the plan includes doubling its brick-and-mortar footprint and reaching $3 billion in revenue by 2028. It also relies heavily on direct-to-consumer sales: the channel is expected to account for 80% of the retailer’s total revenue by then.

Accordingly, the retailer has named an executive to lead its long-term physical store roadmap and tapped its first chief digital officer to oversee digital innovation and strategy. Blonder, who is taking on the latter role, has more than 20 years of experience in digital, DTC and omnichannel efforts, including at Reebok, where he overhauled the company’s e-commerce site. He joins after a stint as president of global e-commerce at Wolverine Worldwide, which owns Sweaty Betty and Sperry, among other brands.

The retailer’s other appointments are equally as experienced: Streichenberger joins Canada Goose from Hermès and has almost 30 years of global luxury experience at companies like Prada and LVMH; Binder has more than 35 years of retail experience, including at LVMH and Macy’s. The appointment of Binder as chief transformation officer comes after he already held some consulting and interim roles with Canada Goose. His position is aimed specifically at ensuring scalable growth, which has been a challenge for many DTC brands and has led many companies to layoffs and restructuring in recent years.

“The execution of our five-year strategic growth plan requires an experienced and talented team of experts that will help us expand our direct-to-consumer business, reach new audiences and build new categories,” Dani Reiss, chairman and CEO of Canada Goose, said in a statement. “As we accelerate our business and execute against our strategic growth pillars, these appointments reflect the performance luxury brand and global retailer we are today – and strengthen the foundation we’ve built for the business we will be in the future.”

In addition to expanding its store footprint and improving its digital presence, Canada Goose also has its eye on growing its product offering. The retailer expanded into footwear in 2021 and is planning to diversify its assortment to appeal to more seasons.