VF Corporation Names Caroline Brown Global Brand President Of The North Face
VF Corporation has announced that Caroline Brown has been named Global Brand President of The North Face. Brown succeeds Nicole Otto.
“Caroline’s expertise in building and transforming global brands, as well as her extensive experience in the apparel and fashion industry, fit perfectly with the needs of The North Face® brand at this time,” added Bracken Darrell, VF’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “With Caroline’s intense focus on brand building, product design, consumer insight, and innovation, I am confident The North Face® will expand on its enormous power as a leading global outdoor brand and be a driving force behind VF’s growth and value creation. On behalf of the Board and leadership team, I thank Nicole for her dedication and service to VF and the brand, and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Caroline Brown served as an independent director on the VF Board from February 2024 to May 2024. She has extensive experience as a senior leader and board director in the fashion and apparel sector having led global companies and teams operating across the US, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, EU & UK regions.
Most recently she was a Managing Director at Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm and innovation center focused on the circular economy, where she led the firm’s fashion practice. Brown previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Donna Karan International (DKI) and DKNY. During that time, she led a transformation of the company, elevating product design, modernizing brand identity, overseeing organizational structure realignments and supply chain consolidations. She led the company through the sale from LVMH to G-III Apparel Group.
Prior to DKI, Brown was President of Carolina Herrera, a luxury fashion house owned by PUIG, where she led the evolution in product development, brand architecture and international expansion. Previously, she served as the US Chief Executive Officer of Akris, a Swiss-based luxury fashion brand. Brown began her career at Giorgio Armani, where she spent over a decade in marketing and communications leadership roles.
Brown has served on numerous boards, including EILEEN FISHER (US), Browzwear (Israel), Dimpora (Switzerland), By Rotation (UK), For Days (US), and others. She is a member of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative Advisory Board and an Advisor to the Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Caroline is passionate about mentoring new talent and has served as an advisor to the CFDA / VOGUE Fashion Fund and to the H&M Global Change Awards, supporting the development of future leaders & innovation for the industry.