Levi’s Brings Digital and Enterprise Tech Functions Under Expanded Role, Names Jason Gowans CDTO
Levi’s has made several recent leadership changes as part of operational shifts to streamline decision-making, drive operational excellence, and better align its structure with its strategic priorities.
As part of this, the company has named a chief digital and technology officer. Jason Gowans was previously Levi’s chief digital officer and takes on the expanded role, which will oversee both the digital and enterprise technology functions. The move will help Levi’s streamline processes by unifying data and elevating its digital capabilities.
Prior to Levi’s, Gowans was the chief analytics officer for Nordstrom, where he led data science and analytics across all functional areas, building data products for marketing, digital, merchandising, and supply chain, according to LinkedIn.
More Leadership Moves
The company is also introducing a new chief supply chain officer role, replacing the chief operations officer position as Liz O’Neill retires after 12 years with Levi’s. The new role will help establish improved supply chain agility with an increased focus on innovation and optimized cost structure.
Also read: Levi’s Moves to Hybrid Logistics Model
Also, Karyn Hillman takes on an expanded role as chief product officer, overseeing both merchandising and design. Hillman has more than three decades of design and merchandising experience, helping to build global brands, innovative product assortments, and optimized go-to market strategies, according to the company.
Other leadership changes include:
- Chief financial and growth officer Harmit Singh will now also oversee the company’s transformation program
- Chief commercial officer Gianluca Flore will now also oversee licensing and planning
- Bernard Bedon has been named chief human resources officer
“We believe success is built on clarity of purpose and the ability to adapt, and that’s exactly what we’re doing — aligning our structure with our strategy to drive sustainable, profitable growth,” said Michelle Gass, president and CEO of Levi’s.
These changes build on the company’s global productivity strategy initiated last year called Project Fuel to serve as a “catalyst to accelerated profitability” through an optimized omnichannel retail strategy.
