The changing of the guards at Levi Strauss & Co. is set to happen Jan. 29 — when Chip Bergh will officially hand over the job of chief executive officer to Michelle Gass.
While the exact timing was not clear before, the changeover has been expected since November 2022, when Gass was tapped to be president, in charge of the Levi brand, and CEO-in-waiting.
Bob Eckert, chairman of the denim company, 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 is credited with taking what was mostly a men’s wholesale jeans business in the U.S. and turning it into a global, direct-to-consumer driven company that now has a much stronger position in women’s and growing brand relevance.
Bergh has been elected executive vice chair of the board and will hold the title until his retirement April 26. He then will stay on as a senior adviser through the end of the year.
“It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great company as CEO,” Bergh said. “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 omnichannel, direct-to-consumer retailer, it is time for new leadership.”
Gass, who logged stints at Procter & Gamble and Starbucks before working her way up to CEO of Kohl’s Corp., will have had more than a year to learn the ropes at Levi’s before taking over the corner officer.
“In the past year, Chip and I have traveled the globe, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting many members of the LS&Co. team,” she said. “Those interactions have only underscored my confidence in the incredible potential of our business, the strength of our brands and the power of the company’s values-driven, profits-through-principles approach. I am incredibly excited to lead our amazing team and to realize 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 LS&Co.”
