Saks Off 5th said Wednesday that it has expanded its leadership team.
The company has created two new executive positions. Mara Sirhal is joining Saks Off 5th as the retailer’s new chief merchant and brand officer. In her new position, which is effective on Friday, Sirhal will oversee buying, planning, creative and the overarching Saks Off 5th brand.
Sirhal is joining the company from bankrupt retailer Bed Bath & Beyond. At that company, she was executive vice president and brand president for the flagship brand and a subsidiary, Harmon Beauty.
“I’m excited to rejoin the fashion space and bring an outside retail perspective to the team as we work to build on our foundation, enhance our offering and deliver on our brand promise for our customers,” Sirhal said in the announcement.
The company also said this week that it appointed Sara Griffin chief marketing and analytics officer. Griffin has been with Saks Off 5th for 10 years and was previously senior vice president of marketing. “By ensuring close ties between our data, analytics, marketing and strategy, we will create the best, personalized experience for our loyal shoppers,” Griffin said.
In addition, the company said Julie Mares, who joined SaksOff5th.com in February as senior vice president of e-commerce, will assume expanded responsibility for full oversight of the entire e-commerce customer experience. That includes digital operations, site monetization and dropshipping.
Saks Off 5th said the leadership changes will enable the company to expand its use of data, analytics, personalization and loyalty to meet evolving customer preferences.
“In my first 90 days as CEO, I’ve prioritized gaining a deeper understanding of our customer, identifying opportunities to simplify our structure and driving exponential growth on SaksOff5th.com,” President and CEO of SaksOff5th.com, Rob Brooks, said in a statement. “These leadership changes reflect a deep commitment to our customer and prioritizing their wants and needs while furthering our investments in personalization, loyalty and analytics.”
Brooks is also relatively new in his position, having joined the company in March. He replaced Paige Thomas, who left Saks to pursue an opportunity outside of the company.
Saks Off 5th split up its online and brick-and-mortar operations in 2021 after full-line Saks Fifth Avenue did the same. Both e-commerce businesses laid off employees in January this year.
