Differential Brands Group Inc., the parent of the Swims Scandinavian lifestyle brand, appointed Bob Ross as chief financial officer, effective January 30, 2017, replacing Hamish Sandhu. In this role, he will report to Michael Buckley, the company’s chief executive officer.
Ross brings more than 20 years of finance and operations experience to this role and is highly proficient across multi-channel specialty apparel and housewares brands. For more than 12 years, Ross held various financial and operational executive roles at Urban Outfitters. During this tenure, he helped to guide the company through the most successful period in their 46-year history, building strong global teams and infrastructure and supporting their market capitalization growth from $100 million to almost $7 billion. More recently, Ross served as chief financial officer of Nasty Gal, Inc. Prior to that, he held the chief financial officer position at Ideeli Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Drexel University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Buckley commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Bob to Differential Brands Group, and believe that he will be a valuable part of our team as we prepare for the significant growth opportunities ahead of us. Bob has vast global experience and an excellent track record growing lifestyle brands and retail concepts through multiple channels, including retail, e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and licensing partners in both domestic and international markets. We are excited to leverage his expertise as we continue to grow the business and we are confident that he will play an integral role in the long-term development of Differential Brands Group.”
Ross said, “I am excited to be joining the Differential Brands team. I believe that the Company’s premium brands and core initiatives position it well to achieve long-term, profitable growth. I look forward to working with the entire team to build on the strong progress that has been made to date and continue growing the Company.”
Buckley added, “On behalf of the Board of Directors and management team, we thank Hamish for his years of service and contributions during his tenure as Chief Financial Officer.”
About Differential Brands Group:
Differential Brands’ current brands are Hudson, a designer and marketer of women’s and men’s premium, branded denim and apparel, Robert Graham, a sophisticated, eclectic apparel and accessories brand seeking to inspire a global movement, and Swims, a Scandinavian lifestyle brand best known for its range of fashion-forward, water-resistant footwear, apparel and accessories.
