Genesco names new CFO

Genesco Inc. announced on Tuesday the appointment of Cassandra “Sandra” Harris as senior vice president, finance and chief financial officer, effective October 7.

Harris succeeds Thomas George, who will retire from the U.S. company on December 12, to ensure a smooth transition.

In her new role, Harris will report directly to Mimi Vaughn, Genesco’s board chair, president and chief executive officer, and will oversee Genesco’s accounting, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, treasury, procurement and tax functions. During the transitional period, George will continue as Genesco’s principal accounting officer.

“It’s an exciting time for Genesco and I am thrilled to join this incredible team at such a pivotal time. I look forward to working closely with the Genesco leadership team to help shape the company’s next chapter of growth as a footwear focused industry leader,” said Harris, who joins the footwear firm with extensive experience across CFO and finance leadership roles in retail and consumer brands companies.

Harris most recently served as chief financial officer for Artisan Design Group. Prior to that, she was the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Tupperware Brands.

Additionally, the executive spent nearly 10 years at VF Corp, from 2008 to 2017, where she was responsible for driving global business and financial strategies across VF’s more than 50 lifestyle brands. Her experience with VF includes retail, finance, supply chain and information technology leadership, including serving as chief financial officer for direct-to-consumer, global supply chain and shared services.

“Sandra is a proven executive leader with a consistent record of driving strategic growth and value across complex organizations. She brings invaluable expertise from numerous multi-channel, multi-brand consumer businesses,” said Vaughn.

“We look forward to benefiting from Sandra’s leadership as we continue to drive sustainable growth, profitability, and long-term shareholder value. In addition, we are incredibly grateful to Tom for his financial leadership at Genesco. A 40-year finance professional with more than 30 years as a public company CFO, Tom has made significant contributions to Genesco, and we wish him the very best in retirement.”

​Harris’ appointment follows a slew of new hires at Genesco’s Journeys brand. In July, the firm named Stacy Doren as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Journeys Group, while in January, Chris Santaella was named executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Prior to that, Genesco Andy Gray was named Journeys president, in November.