Rhone has hired its first chief merchandising officer.
Alexa Andersen, the former senior vice president of merchandising at Puma North America, has joined the Stamford, Conn.-based lifestyle brand in a move designed to drive further growth.
Andersen has more than 20 years’ experience in the performance apparel industry and at Rhone, she will oversee both the merchandising and design teams.
At Puma, she led the North America merchandising organization across wholesale and direct-to-consumer businesses, overseeing footwear, apparel and accessories. She also led collaborations and partnerships.
Prior to Puma, Andersen was at Lululemon, where she led product creation and merchandising for strategic initiatives. While there she helped build emerging and high-growth areas across technical performance and major global brand moments, including the Olympic Games.
Over the course of her career she also held merchandising leadership roles at Adidas, Asics and Nike.
Nate Checketts, chief executive officer and cofounder of Rhone with his brother Ben Checketts, said Andersen’s “track record building and elevating merchandising organizations at some of the most respected brands in the industry speaks for itself, but what stood out most was how naturally her values align with ours. Alexa understands that great product and long-term brand building go hand in hand, and she’s going to be an incredible partner as we continue to grow with intention.”
Andersen, who was raised in Mexico and has lived in the U.S., Italy and the Netherlands, said: “After spending my career at some incredible big brands, I’ve seen how the pressure to deliver short-term growth can sometimes pull focus away from long-term vision and brand building. What drew me to Rhone is the chance to be part of a business that’s moved past the start-up stage but is still very much in growth mode, where you can actually see the fruits of your labor. The product is incredible, the people are some of the most genuine I’ve met in this industry, and it’s clear that Nate and Ben’s commitment to mental fitness isn’t just a marketing message, it’s something they truly live and believe in. I couldn’t be more excited to help build what’s next.”
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