Dive Brief:
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Drieke Leenknegt will be global chief marketing officer at Vans, effective July 5, the company said by email Wednesday. Leenknegt will lead the brand’s global marketing and creative teams as it “continues its objective to drive brand heat and relevance with existing and potential fans around the world,” per a release.
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Leenknegt has been in the same role at another VF Corp. brand, Timberland, for the past three years. Before that she led her own strategic advisory firm and had been a marketing executive at Nike, per her LinkedIn page.
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The brand’s revenue fell 14% in the most recent quarter, and “the work to turn around Vans is progressing according to plan,” parent VF Corp. said in May.
Dive Insight:
Earlier this year, VF Corp. executives made it clear that rehabilitating Vans is a top priority. Interim CEO Benno Dorer noted that “The North Face is a solid and transferable execution blueprint for Vans, and frankly, the entire VF portfolio in the Americas, where we must grow with consumers more consistently.”
Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell has since been tapped to take over for Dorer next month.
Just a few years ago, the skater-shoe brand was a top performer. Sales growth faltered last year, and more recently the brand has posted a series of declines. In March 2022, Kevin Bailey returned to Vans, taking the job of global brand president. In a statement, Bailey said that Leenknegt’s leadership and experience “will complement and reinforce our overarching business objectives.”
“Consumers know and love our brand, but it will be under Drieke’s purview as Global CMO that we’ll look to strengthen and deepen our connectivity with consumers everywhere to drive brand affinity,” Bailey said.
Leenknegt will report to Bailey, and will lead the marketing strategy “to elevate Vans’ creative vision, drive consumer engagement and experience across retail, brand and digital, while also helping to fuel sustainable, long-term growth for the brand,” per the release.
In her statement, Leenknegt said she knows Vans well as a customer, competitor and colleague.
“I'm honored to now contribute to its storied history, drive the brand forward, and lead the incredibly talented team at Vans,” she said.
