Jerry Leigh makes Roback EVP of Sales, Juniors

19 Mar '19

3 min read

Pic: Jerry Leigh

Jerry Leigh, leading clothing manufacturer and brand management company, has made Michelle Roback the executive vice president of Sales, Juniors and David Lerner. Roback will oversee new brand and business development while continuing to build collaborative partnerships with retailers and brands that optimise for today's complex retail environment.

Over the past two decades, Roback has been instrumental at Jerry Leigh in building multi-million-dollar apparel programmes for licensors, including Disney and Warner Bros, across key accounts such as Target, Kohl's, Hot Topic, and Forever 21. Roback will be responsible for international growth and expanding into new licensed categories such as footwear, accessories, and fragrance.

"Michelle is a born leader and visionary and has been instrumental in evolving our philosophy to meet the challenges of today's retail landscape. Her unstoppable drive and creativity make her the ideal person to drive the convergence of our Studio and Collections businesses, while continuing to shape Jerry Leigh's legacy," remarks Andrew Leigh, president of Jerry Leigh.

In 2015, Roback began leading the David Lerner brand, streamlined the sales force and transformed what was once a contemporary leggings brand into a high-end full sportswear collection. Her strong sense of style paired with an active and demanding schedule led to her deep connection with the brand.

Under Roback's leadership, David Lerner now has distribution at top accounts including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, and Revolve as well as placement at the top showrooms in the country. She continues to pay close attention to protect the 1,000+ specialty stores across the country that support David Lerner while simultaneously focusing on brand growth and expanding distribution.

Roback's philosophy has creatively integrated the traditional studio/licensed business with David Lerner, creating a strong point of differentiation from other contemporary lines. She architected successful collaborations including Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Wonder Woman, and Star Wars launching this summer.

"We are very fortunate to leverage Michelle's instinct and talent to evolve our contemporary brand by incorporating our long-term partners like Disney and Warner Brothers. Given the accelerating success of David Lerner, we plan to make the additional financial investments necessary for it to seize that momentum and reach its full potential," says Andrew Leigh.

"It's a pleasure to work with Michelle to identify whitespace opportunities and bring them to fruition. Her unparalleled instincts and innate creativity are always ahead of the industry," says Paige Thomas, EVP/GMM of Nordstrom, who has worked with Roback extensively.

Roback possesses the unique ability to seize opportunities to play in non-traditional retail categories and alternative distribution. Alli Webb, founder of Drybar, comments, "When Michelle approached me with her vision for a Drybar apparel line, I instantly knew that she was a part of my tribe of female entrepreneurs who possess that secret power to transform ideas into reality."

With a commitment to nurturing the best employees and mentoring other women into more senior roles at Jerry Leigh, Roback credits her success to her talented and passionate design and sales teams that continuously bring stories to life at retail. (SV)

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