Vans names Sun Choe as global brand president

VF Corporation has announced the appointment of Michelle “Sun” Choe as global brand president of Vans, effective late July. 

With nearly three decades of experience in the apparel industry, Choe brings a wealth of expertise in leading design and merchandising for prominent global brands.

“Sun is a strong leader who is focused on consumer insight and has a proven track record of driving brand heat, and translating it into financial results. I am confident that Sun is the right leader to take Vans to new heights,” said Bracken Darrell, president and chief executive officer, VF. 

“With Sun’s appointment, we are further transforming the VF leadership team to ignite growth across our brands and enhance value for our shareholders and other stakeholders.”

Most recently, she served as chief product officer at Lululemon, where she was instrumental in transforming the company into a product-led organization. Under her leadership, Lululemon saw its revenues quadruple and its profitability strengthen, while expanding into new product lines and geographies.

Prior to Lululemon, she was chief global product merchant at Marc Jacobs from 2015 to 2016. Her experience also includes senior leadership roles at West Elm, Madewell, and Urban Outfitters, as well as merchandising leadership positions at Guess, Levi Strauss, and Gap Inc. 

“Vans is an incredible brand with a storied history and devoted customer base,” added Choe. 

“I am passionate about building high-performance cultures and teams and creating great designs and guest experiences that build long-lasting, meaningful connections with consumers around the world. At Vans, we will do just that – capitalizing on the brand’s identity as a lifestyle defined by creativity and authenticity. I can’t wait to get to work.”