Brands

Puma

German sportswear giant Puma announced that Johan Adamsson, vice president of global sports marketing and sports licensing, will leave the company Aug. 31 after more than 25 years with the brand.

Adamsson is departing for personal reasons, per Puma. During his tenure, he helped develop the company’s sports marketing organization and worked across athlete, team and federation partnerships.

“Throughout his career at Puma, Johan has played an important role in the development of our Sports Marketing organization and contributed to many of the athlete, team and federation partnerships that have helped strengthen Puma’s position as a global sports brand,” CEO Arthur Hoeld said in a statement.

Hoeld will oversee Puma’s sports marketing activities on an interim basis until a successor is named. The company said it will announce the division’s future leadership at a later date.

“I look back with immense gratitude and pride on an extraordinary journey,” Adamsson said. “It has been a true privilege to be part of such an iconic brand, to experience some of the world’s greatest sporting events and, most importantly, to work alongside so many exceptional and inspiring people.”

Vuori

California activewear brand Vuori has named Carey Collins Krug chief marketing officer, effective Oct. 5, as the company looks to build its global profile amid continued international expansion.

Collins Krug will lead Vuori’s global marketing organization—overseeing brand, creative, consumer engagement, digital, retail, wholesale and integrated marketing. Her mandate will include advancing the company’s global marketing strategy and strengthening its connections with consumers across channels.

She joins Vuori from Abercrombie & Fitch, where she served as chief marketing officer and played a key role in repositioning the once-struggling retailer for a new generation of consumers. Her tenure included an increased focus on digital, influencer marketing and updated brand positioning as Abercrombie returned to growth and renewed cultural relevance.

Earlier in her career, Collins Krug held senior marketing roles at David Yurman, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan International, working across brand campaigns, global expansion and digital initiatives.

“Carey brings the kind of brand-building, consumer engagement and cross-functional marketing leadership that will be instrumental as Vuori enters its next chapter of growth,” said founder and CEO Joe Kudla. “Her experience helping global lifestyle brands sharpen their storytelling and build deeper connections with consumers aligns closely with where we’re headed as we continue to scale.”

Collins Krug said Vuori already has “a powerful brand and an engaged community,” adding that she plans to build on that momentum as the company scales globally.

Retail

Asos

British online fashion retailer Asos has named Jon Bennett menswear product director for Asos Design, tasking the retail veteran with overseeing the strategy and performance of its in-house menswear business.

Bennett will be responsible for strengthening Asos Design Menswear’s product proposition, fashion positioning and commercial performance. He will work across the company’s product, brand and creative teams as Asos looks to sharpen the label’s identity and support its next phase of growth.

Bennett joins Asos from Next’s wholly owned brands division, where he served as managing director. He previously held senior trading, buying, sourcing and design roles across Next, Primark and Topshop/Topman.

“Jon’s appointment strengthens our product leadership team and underlines the importance of Asos Design Menswear to our wider product strategy,” said Elena Martinez Ortiz, executive vice president of product at Asos. “He brings deep menswear expertise and a proven ability to build high-performing product teams at scale.”

Bennett said Asos Design Menswear already has “strong foundations,” adding that he sees an opportunity to create product that feels “relevant, directional and distinctly Asos.”

GA Group

Great American Holdings, or GA Group, has appointed restructuring veteran Joseph “Joe” Malfitano president and head of its Retail, Merchant & Industrial Solutions business lines, while longtime executive Scott Carpenter transitions to a senior advisor role.

Malfitano brings more than 25 years of experience advising companies across the retail, industrial and commercial sectors on restructurings, turnarounds and asset transactions. He previously held senior leadership roles at two global investment and advisory firms and founded Malfitano Partners, a boutique advisory firm focused on retail restructurings.

His résumé includes engagements involving Toys “R” Us, Payless ShoeSource, Ascena Retail Group and its Ann Taylor, Loft, Catherines, Justice and Lane Bryant businesses, as well as Brooks Brothers, Gymboree, Bon-Ton Stores, Pier 1 Imports, Charlotte Russe and Eastern Mountain Sports.

Earlier in his career, Malfitano practiced law at Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor in Wilmington, Del., advising stakeholders in Chapter 11 proceedings.

“The retail landscape is in constant transition, and we are focused on being able to deliver advice and monetization strategies to consumer-focused businesses throughout their corporate journeys,” said GA Group CEO Dan Shribman, who described Malfitano’s mandate as dramatically expanding the company’s market visibility and service offerings.

Carpenter, who previously served as CEO of GA Retail, Merchant & Industrial Solutions, will remain involved with leadership and client relationships as senior advisor.

“I’m honored to join GA Group at such a dynamic time in the market,” Malfitano said. “I look forward to working with the world-class team to build on that foundation, expand our capabilities, and drive continued growth for our clients and stakeholders.”

Ernesta

Custom rug retailer Ernesta has named Rohit Bagalkot vice president of marketing and Kelly Shah director of inventory planning as the company expands following a $20 million Series B funding round.

The appointments coincide with Ernesta’s move into a new 12,500-square-foot Manhattan headquarters at 119 W. 24th St., with capacity for more than 90 employees. The company said the Chelsea-Flatiron location puts its team closer to the interior designers, trade partners and customers that make up its business.

Bagalkot will oversee brand, growth and performance marketing as Ernesta works to expand its customer base and showroom footprint. He joins from medical imaging company Prenuvo, where he served as vice president of marketing, and previously held senior marketing roles at Peloton.

“Ernesta is doing something genuinely new in a category that has not changed in decades,” Bagalkot said. “There is an enormous opportunity to introduce more people to a better way to buy rugs, and I am thrilled to help tell that story as we grow.”

Shah, meanwhile, will oversee demand planning, inventory strategy and the operational systems supporting Ernesta’s custom-rug delivery model. She most recently served as senior director of planning at Ring Concierge and previously held planning roles at Studs, David Yurman and Macy’s.

“Delivering a custom product quickly and dependably comes down to great planning behind the scenes,” Shah said. “I am excited to join a team that is scaling so quickly and to build the inventory foundation that lets Ernesta keep that promise to every customer.”

Logistics

Robust.AI

Warehouse automation company Robust.AI has named Marin Tchakarov CEO as it scales deployments of its Carter collaborative mobile robot and prepares to launch a new robotics software and services platform later this year.

Tchakarov succeeds co-founder Anthony Jules, who will transition to chief innovation officer and focus on the San Francisco-based company’s physical AI initiatives.

The leadership change comes as Robust.AI surpasses 100 deployments of Carter, an autonomous mobile robot designed for warehouse tasks including picking, putaway and point-to-point transportation. The company said it is doubling Carter deployments every six months, with customers including DHL Supply Chain, O’Neill Logistics, ShipLab and Saddle Creek Logistics Services.

Tchakarov brings more than 30 years of technology leadership experience. He most recently served as CEO of Fox Robotics, which warehouse automation company Symbotic acquired. Before that, he led robotics company Kindred Systems, overseeing more than 300 percent growth in robot deployments before its $262 million acquisition by Ocado Group. He previously held senior financial roles at Pebble and Jawbone.

“Carter is a mature product already driving strong value and ROI for our customers, and I am eager to help realize the full potential of this momentum,” Tchakarov said.

Robust.AI is also preparing to introduce a platform designed to use data collected by Carter fleets to provide warehouse operators with operational intelligence, including information that might inform inventory layouts and labor deployment.

“Now that we’ve established product-market fit, Marin has the experience and vision to make Robust.AI the dominant player in the space,” Jules said. “I’m excited to focus 100 percent on technical innovation.”