J.Jill has appointed Viv Rettke, a veteran of leading growth and transformation strategies at Cole Haan and Reebok, to the newly-created role of chief growth officer.
The company indicated that Rettke will be responsible for the performance of the direct to consumer channel and will work closely with the senior leadership team “to define and lead a holistic growth strategy aligning brand, marketing, and direct and retail sales channels,” and lead the company’s AI initiatives.
She will report to chief executive officer and president Mary Ellen Coyne, who in a statement said Rettke has “a proven ability to accelerate business growth at leading companies in fashion and other consumer industries. We’re confident her deep expertise across brand building, corporate strategy, business transformation, and retail sales and operations will help us realize the untapped potential to expand our customer file and unlock new efficiencies and market opportunities.”
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Rettke most recently served as chief strategy and transformation officer at Cole Haan, where she developed and led an enterprise-wide strategy evolving the brand’s positioning from a men’s dress shoe brand to a dual-gender global lifestyle brand.
Before Cole Haan, she was head of transformation at Reebok, where she was responsible for digital sales acceleration, profit improvement, icon launches and fashion strategy. Prior to Reebok, Rettke held a series of roles of increasing responsibility at Kraft Heinz, serving most recently as Ahold head of sales for center store. Earlier in her career she was a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and a senior analyst and manager with CitiFinancial.
Rettke currently serves as a council member of F.A.I.R. (Fashion Artificial Intelligence Responsibility), an organization dedicated to driving the creation of a global framework for responsible AI adoption in the fashion and lifestyle industry.
“I look forward to honoring the brand’s strong legacy while advancing a comprehensive strategy that aims to strengthen and sharpen our competitive position, expand our reach, and leverage data analytics and innovation—including AI—to deliver sustainable, profitable growth,” Rettke said in a statement.
J.Jill represents a segment of the apparel business that’s sprung into popularity with people returning to working at their offices after the pandemic. The Quincy, Mass.-based retailer sells merchandise under its own private label and primarily caters to middle-aged and older women and operates 249 stores nationwide and an e-commerce platform.
There have been two other high-level appointments at J.Jill recently, with Coyne becoming CEO last May, and Courtney O’Connor being named senior vice president and chief merchandising officer last June. In 2024, J.Jill generated net Income of $39.5 million compared to $36.2 million for 2023. Net sales increased 0.5 percent to $610.9 million compared to $608 million for 2023.
For the second quarter of this year, J.Jill’s net sales decreased 0.8 percent to $154.0 million compared to $155.2 million for Q2 of fiscal 2024. Net Income was $10.5 million compared to $8.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024. Net Income in Q2 of fiscal 2024 included $8.6 million in expenses related to the loss on extinguishment of debt in the period.
