MICHELLE ‘SUN’ CHOE
GLOBAL BRAND PRESIDENT
VANS INC.
WHY: Leads Costa Mesa-based Vans; previously played a prominent sales role at Lululemon as chief product officer, where sales quadrupled after she joined.
IN THE NEWS: Appointed head of shoe and apparel co. in 2024 in hopes to recapture sales, and as part of parent VF’s business improvement initiatives. Choe’s turnaround plan includes claiming other action sports categories, recapturing youth and women consumers, reconnecting with specialty skate shops and building up Vans’ athlete partnerships.
NOTABLE: Will be prioritizing footwear first and apparel second. VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell said that the new assortment Choe and her team are developing paired with a stronger marketing program is “the medicine” to get Vans traffic back up.
QUOTABLE: “The brand wandered away in pursuit of chasing trends at the expense of core consumer focus…We expanded into value channels and devalued the brand itself. It was a mistake, and we’re fixing it.”
