David’s Bridal appoints Elina Vilk as chief business officer

David’s Bridal, Inc. has announced the appointment of Elina Vilk as chief business officer.

In this role, Vilk will lead Pearl by David’s, the company’s event planning platform. Launched in 2023, the platform serves both brides and vendors, aiming to simplify the wedding planning process while providing significant exposure and growth opportunities for local and national vendors.

Notably, Vilk will help upgrade the existing platform and support vendors to grow their business, transforming the platform to be both a media network and marketplace. 

“Welcoming Elina to the David’s Bridal family serves as a pivotal moment in our business we believe will drive exponential growth,” said Kelly Cook, president, brand, technology, and finance at David’s Bridal. 

“As the premier wedding authority, we’ve served over 100 million brides and bridesmaids over the years and are here to help her with more than just finding the perfect wedding dress. We know she’s working with between 10 – 30 vendors during the wedding planning process, and have an incredibly deep understanding of her needs, making us best suited to serve as her co-pilot every step of the way to her dream wedding. More importantly, Pearl is a perfect match for the 2M+ vendors serving these brides as we can provide tools and resources to grow their businesses with real brides. Pearl continues to become the leading event planning platform in the market bringing her a seamless, stress-free experience and Vilk is poised to help us lead this critical new chapter ahead.”

With nearly 25 years of marketing and e-commerce experience, Vilk joins David’s Bridal after serving as chief marketing officer at Hootsuite and WooCommerce. She has also held leadership roles at companies like Meta, PayPal, Visa, and Yahoo.

“I’m absolutely honored to join such a talented and remarkable team at David’s Bridal as chief business officer and to lead Pearl and build on its existing legacy of success,” added Vilk. 

“With women accounting for 85% of consumer spending and 75% identifying themselves as the primary shopper for their household, we’re seeing brand decisions really begin once she gets engaged as she officially steps into the role as household CEO. It’s our goal to be there for her and form an emotional connection during this important milestone that can last a lifetime. My focus is to continue building a world class platform with her at the forefront of every decision we make, ensuring we’re deeply connected to that bride and are there for her every step of the way.”