Dive Brief:
- DTC activewear brand Rhone added two prominent executives to its board of directors as it gears up to launch its first women’s collection in May, per a release sent to Retail Dive.
- Tess Roering was previously the first head of marketing at Athleta and most recently served as the chief commercial officer at CorePower Yoga. Jimmy Pitaro is currently the chairman of ESPN.
- As part of its ramp-up to launch women’s in May, Rhone in January announced a deal with the Ladies Professional Golf Association and Epson Tour to become the on-course apparel partner and the official staff uniform provider of both tours, per the company.
Dive Insight:
Rhone is building out its board with sports-focused experts as it looks to expand. Roering spent close to five years at Athleta, according to her LinkedIn, where Rhone said she helped grow revenues from $150 million to $500 million and opened the brand's first 100 retail stores. She also headed the brand’s first marketing and creative platform, “Power to the She,” that later evolved into The Power of She.
Pitaro, as chairman of ESPN, has full global responsibility for the ESPN business.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Tess and Jimmy to Rhone’s board,” Nate Checketts, CEO and co-founder of Rhone, said in a statement. “As we prepare to launch our women’s collection, Tess brings incredible expertise in brand and marketing from her time at Athleta and CorePower Yoga and Jimmy is a top industry thought leader that brings unmatched experience in sports and consumer products industries. The addition of Tess and Jimmy will help bring us to new heights in 2024 and beyond.”
Roering and Pitaro join a board that also includes Nate Checketts; Dave Checketts, managing partner of Checketts Partners Investment Fund; Jon Owsley, managing partner at L Catterton; Simon Hill-Norton, investor and co-founder of Sweaty Betty; and Carras Holmstead, investment partner at Palistar Capital and co-founder of Rhone. Roering joined Rhone's board in September.
Come May, the Rhone women’s collection will be sold on the Rhone website as well as all 15 of Rhone’s stores. Rhone’s women’s collection will also be sold at select wholesale partners across the country such as Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and REI. When the brand announced its intention to launch women’s last year, Rhone said it envisions an eventual 50-50 split between its women’s and men’s businesses.
Rhone has recently been active on several fronts as the 10-year-old brand continues to diversify. It announced last year that L Catterton sold a stake in its business to a group led by Rhone management and several select investors. The retailer is also continuing a brick-and-mortar expansion. Rhone in November opened its 15th store, in Boston’s Seaport district, marking its 12th store opening of 2023. This year, the brand plans to open two new stores plus an additional summer pop-up location, with more stores planned for 2025, per the company.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include company confirmation of when Roering joined Rhone's board.
