Forever 21 appoints new CEO

Fashion retailer Forever 21 has announced the appointment of Winnie Park as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Park will report directly to Marc Miller, CEO of SPARC, the dedicated operating partner for Forever 21 that designs, sources, manufactures, distributes and markets apparel and accessories for men, women and children.

Park joins Forever 21 from Paper Source, where she served as CEO for the past six years. At Paper Source, she helped to transform the brand from a brick-and-mortar retailer to a lifestyle brand with a digital platform spanning social, digital content, online subscriptions and affiliate partnerships. She also led the sale of the brand to an affiliate of Barnes & Noble.

Prior to Paper Source, she held executive roles across ecommerce, global marketing and fashion merchandising, including a nine-year tenure at the Hong Kong-based international retail leader DFS.

Marc Miller, CEO at SPARC, said: "We are thrilled to have Winnie join the Forever 21 team. She is an inspirational leader and team builder who brings deep omni-channel experience and a track record of successfully growing businesses with particular strengths in strategy, merchandising, marketing and branding.

"As CEO, Winnie will add fresh perspective and approaches in connecting with the Forever 21 customer, which will help drive Forever 21 from its current $2 billion sales level to new heights of success as a leading brand in SPARC's Fashion and Lifestyle brand portfolio."

Winnie Park, CEO at Forever 21, added: "As a longtime shopper and admirer of the brand, I am honoured to join Forever 21 at such a pivotal time of reinvention and reinvigoration,"

"I am looking forward to partnering with this exceptional leadership team to continue the transformation of this brand with a focus on the Forever 21 community including its people, purpose and business priorities across digital and traditional retail channels."