Ex Officio carved out a new senior management position focusing on merchandising and design. Pat Nugent, an apparel executive with proven experience, managing merchandising, design, development and production strategies has been chosen for the job.
Nugent's role at Ex Officio will be to head up the overall product and inventory strategy. This will include management of product development, agent relationships, manufacturing strategy, and overall merchandising and inventory plans. In a nutshell, Nugent will be a key player in helping Ex Officio achieve brand and revenue growth.
Nugent's career highlights consist of 9 years experience as the VP of Production followed by the VP of Merchandising for Cutter & Buck. During this time Cutter & Buck grew from a 3 to 160 million-dollar apparel brand. Prior to her time with Cutter & Buck, Nugent was the Owner and President of Pat Nugent Design whose clients consisted of major brands in the active and casual sportswear market. Nugent is clearly cut out for her role at Ex Officio.
The new VP of Merchandising and Design position will free Ex Officio President, Rick Hemmerling, to focus more closely on new business development and strategic marketing. Prior to Nugent coming on board, Hemmerling was charged with overseeing product design, development, production and marketing.
When asked why Rick Hemmerling chose Pat Nugent for the crucial role of Ex Officio VP of Merchandising and Design, he stated, “Pat asked which position was available and I said mine, only she would have to do it much better! I believe in order to move the brand to another level, Ex Officio needs an executive with proven experience who understands how to promote growth without compromising quality. Her experience shows this level of expertise. We are thrilled to have Pat join our team and look forward her impact on the Ex Officio brand.”
