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Away bolsters leadership team for next phase of growth

Tom Bottomley
17 November 2021

Cult US luggage brand Away has today announced the appointments of three new executives as it enters into its next phase of growth.

Charles Liu joins the company as Chief Operating Officer, Melissa Weiss joins as Chief Marketing Officer and Luke Chatelain takes on the newly established role of Chief Digital Officer at a critical time as the travel industry continues to rebound from the impact of COVID-19.

During this year of recovery, the company’s ability to outperform initial revenue estimates has enabled the business to transition strategically into a return to growth position.

This year has also seen Away expand its product offer and launch collaborations with notable figures, including tennis ace Serena Williams and fashion designer Sandy Liang. It has also established partnerships with renowned brands ranging from Marriott to KITH, and strengthened its social impact partnerships with non-profit organisations like Global Glimpse and Together We Rise, while continuing to grow both the corporate and retail teams.

Jen Rubio, CEO of Away, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time at Away. After an extraordinarily challenging period for the travel industry, we have been capitalising on growing customer demand and seeing significant gains across all categories.

“As we prepare for our next stage of growth and a critical year ahead, we are thrilled to welcome Charles, Melissa, and Luke to our leadership team. These talented and accomplished leaders bring an impressive depth of experience and diverse expertise to Away. I’m eager to see how their leadership will help drive operational excellence, foster innovation, deepen our community engagement, and unlock Away’s unbounded future.”

Liu will lead Away’s end-to-end supply chain and business technology teams as the company makes significant investments in its business infrastructure. He previously held leadership roles at Walmart, Shopko, and Walgreens, and most recently, was COO at Casper.

Weiss will oversee the brand’s growth marketing, creative and communications. With a strategic focus on building brand affinity while driving revenue performance, Weiss brings a depth of marketing experience from her time as Head of Marketing of Lyft’s Micromobility division, CMO of Barry’s Bootcamp, and from previous leadership roles at Theory and Amazon Fashion.

Chatelain will  oversee the digital product, user experience (UX), and insights teams to define the future of Away’s customer-centric omnichannel commerce experience. Previously, Chatelain drove digital transformation as Vice President, Innovation and Digital Product at West Elm, and most recently, as Chief Digital Officer of J. Crew.

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