Clarks CEO Jon Ram departs

Clarks, renowned for its comfort-first footwear range, has today confirmed that its CEO of two years, Jon Ram, plans to exit the company to "pursue other opportunities".

A spokesperson for Clarks told TheIndustry.fashion: "Clarks announces that CEO Jon Ram has made a decision to leave the company to pursue other opportunities. Clarks thanks Jon for his leadership and contribution to Clarks over the last two years.

"To ensure continuity in the leadership of the company, Clarks Chairman Colin Li and other directors will form an Interim Executive Committee to lead the business, pending a new CEO appointment."

Prior to his two-year stint at Clarks, he was Group President of Global Activewear at HanesBrands, Inc., where he led the growth of the global activewear business across multiple brands and businesses.

With extensive footwear and apparel leadership experience, Montreal born and raised Ram spent 16 years at New Balance where he ran the LATAM, EMEA and North American businesses, before joining HanesBrands in May 2018. He was instrumental in leading transformation, growth, and profitability in the EMEA business and then led the North American multi-channel business.

He is yet to announce where he's heading next.

Last year, Clarks also waved goodbye to Joe Ulloa, its Managing Director of the UK, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa.

Almost two hundred years ago, Cyrus and James Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts at the family tannery. Today, Clarks sells nearly 48 million pairs of shoes in 90 countries, with the business growing to become the world's largest casual and smart shoe company, and the fourth largest footwear company on the planet.

Established in 1825 in Street, Somerset, the Clarks archive now contains more than 22,000 styles of shoes.