VF Corp has appointed Chris Goble, a veteran from Gap Inc., as the new head of its Dickies workwear brand, continuing a series of leadership changes aimed at revitalising the company’s performance. Goble, who previously served as the Chief Product Officer and General Manager of Gap North America, will officially take over on 14th October.
This appointment marks the ninth leadership change under CEO Bracken Darrell, who joined VF Corp in July 2023. Among other moves, Darrell has replaced the company’s Chief Design Officer and the head of its Vans brand. Goble replaces Todd Dalhausser, who recently transitioned to the role of General Manager at The North Face Americas.
Analysts have taken note of these changes, with Barclays’ Adrienne Yih recently highlighting the “significant improvements” made across VF’s leadership structure over the past year.
Dickies, known for its workwear staples like overalls and pants, is refocusing on its core market after a failed push into fashion. Darrell acknowledged the misstep in the company’s recent earnings call, stating, “We moved too fast to turn it into a fashion brand in the US.” Dickies’ revenue fell by 15 per cent in the three months ending June, and other VF brands like Vans also struggled, with a 21 per cent revenue decline in the same period.
Despite these challenges, VF Corp’s shares have recovered, showing a 1 per cent increase this year after an earlier dip.
