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Levi’s has announced that president and CEO Chip Bergh has decided to retire from the company, effective from 26 April 2024.
As a result, the group’s board of directors has elected Michelle Gass, the current president, to succeed Bergh in the role of president and CEO from 29 January 2024. This will complete the transition plan announced on 8 November last year.
Bergh will continue as executive vice chair of Levi’s board until his retirement date. After that, he will transition to the role of senior advisor until the end of the company’s 2024 fiscal year.
Over the course of his tenure, Bergh revitalised the brand, repositioning it at the centre of culture through claiming its naming rights and deepening the brand’s connection to the music industry.
Bob Eckert, chairman of the Levi’s board of directors, said: “We would like to thank Chip for his inspirational leadership and unwavering commitment to the company over the last 12-plus years.
“Chip has transformed this company and will leave it far better than when he arrived. I know we will continue to benefit from Chip’s strategic perspective as he continues to serve on the company’s board.”
Bergh said: “It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great company as CEO for the last 12 years. I want to especially thank my team, the board of directors and the family shareholders for all their support through the years.
“The Levi’s brand is the strongest it has ever been, and as we pivot to become more of an omni-channel, direct-to-consumer retailer, it is time for new leadership.”
Gass added: “I am honoured to be stepping in to lead this iconic brand and company, one that I have deeply admired and respected for many years. Levi’s is more than a denim icon; it’s part of our cultural fabric and an enduring symbol of quality, innovation and progress.
“I am incredibly excited to lead our amazing team and to realise our ambition of becoming a world-class direct-to-consumer retailer. As we build on our 170-year legacy, I’m more confident than ever that we have the right team and strategies in place to unleash the next era of sustainable, profitable growth for Levi’s.”
