US' Chico's FAS appoints Kevin Mansell as chair of board

Mansell succeeds Bonnie Brooks, who has served as executive chair of the board since 2020 and will continue to serve as a director and a member of the merchant committee and executive committee. Mansell joined the board in April 2021 and has served as lead independent director since the company’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders. Mansell has more than 40 years of experience in the retail industry, including experience leading a publicly traded retail Fortune 500 company with a significant omnichannel presence, and strategic, merchandising and financial expertise. Prior to joining Chico’s FAS board, he spent over 35 years at Kohl’ corporation, most recently serving as its chairman, chief executive officer and president before retiring in May 2018, the company said in a press release.

“On behalf of the board, we are deeply appreciative of Brooks’ leadership as executive chair through a time of unparalleled challenges and transformation for Chico’s FAS. Brooks’ expertise, insights and guidance have been invaluable to the board and the company throughout the last two years, particularly in light of disruption from the pandemic. Mansell has been an important voice in the boardroom since joining the board last year, and we are pleased he has agreed to serve as chair.  Our entire board is excited to work with him in this new leadership role, and we look forward to continuing to benefit from his perspectives and drawing on his deep experience in the retail industry,” Jan Fields, chair of the company’s corporate governance and nominating committee, said in a statement.

“It was a great honour to lead the Chico’s FAS board, particularly during a period when we needed to navigate the impact of the pandemic on the retail industry, to appoint a new CEO to lead Chico’s FAS into the future and to take significant steps to position our three brands for long-term success. The company recently posted its best fourth quarter earnings performance in four years, demonstrating the extraordinary progress the management team, led by Molly Langenstein, is making against our turnaround plan. Chico’s FAS is now at a strong place in its history. I look forward to continuing to serve on the board alongside Mansell and my other fellow directors as the company strives to continue to deliver for customers and drive sustainable growth and profitability,” Brooks, said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)