VF Corporation appointed Nicole Otto to the position of Global Brand President, The North Face. Otto joins VF following a successful 16-year career at Nike and will succeed Steve Murray, who is retiring and returning to the United Kingdom.
The transition will be effective in June. Otto will report to VF Chairman, President and CEO, Steve Rendle, and serve on VF’s Executive Leadership Team.
Otto most recently served as Vice President of Nike Direct North America from 2018 through May 2021. In this role, she oversaw Nike’s digital experiences and fleet of inline and factory stores throughout the North America region. Otto was responsible for integrating the company’s physical and digital retail ecosystem to deliver online-to-offline services and experiences that forge deep connections with consumers. Under her leadership, Nike launched new flagship and Nike Live experiences in New York City and Los Angeles and began its expansion of owned retail across the United States.
“Nicole is the right leader who brings the right capabilities to The North Face brand at the right time,” said Rendle. “Her global industry experience and deep understanding of consumer engagement strategies – through both physical retail and digital commerce – make her ideally suited to take the helm of this iconic brand and accelerate growth through even more compelling direct connections with consumers worldwide. Nicole is a proven innovator and future-focused leader who will further strengthen The North Face® brand’s exceptional global executive team. We’re excited to welcome her to the VF family.”
With her deep digital experience, Otto was also a key architect of Nike’s digital consumer-facing technology platforms during the past decade. Before joining Nike’s North America team, she held several regional and global leadership roles within the company’s digital business.
