After more than 30 years of leadership, Ariat Co-Founder and CEO Beth Cross is transitioning to executive chair of the Board of Directors in April. To position the company for continued growth and to ensure a smooth transition, the Ariat Board and Cross selected Liz O’Neill as incoming CEO.
O’Neill will officially assume the role on April 2, working closely with Cross and the senior leadership team ahead of the transition.
Most recently, O’Neill served as COO at Levi Strauss & Co., where she led global teams across product, planning, sourcing, supply chain, and operations, and worked closely with wholesale and retail partners worldwide. Prior to that, she served for over 12 years at Gap, Inc. as VP of Production and Tech Design.
“Ariat was founded with the vision to build a performance-driven brand rooted in innovation, authenticity, and a deep respect for the people and communities it serves,” the company stated. “Today, Ariat has grown from an idea into a global footwear and apparel brand, earning a reputation for technical innovation, premium product quality, and long-term partnerships with retailers and consumers around the world. Beth’s leadership has been defined by long-term thinking, a people-first culture, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”
The company said O’Neill brings deep experience leading global teams and operations. During the transition, Cross will remain CEO and continue to lead day-to-day operations. She will remain actively involved as executive chair, focusing on governance, long-term strategy and Ariat’s culture, while supporting the new CEO and the leadership team.
The company was careful to say that “Ariat’s strategy, leadership team and day-to-day operations remain unchanged.”
A letter from Beth Cross is reproduced below.
Ariat Friends –
After more than 30 years of building Ariat alongside an amazing group of colleagues, I’m beginning the next chapter of my role with the company, transiDoning from CEO to Executive Chair of the Board of Directors. Ariat has been a major part of my life for more than three decades, and I am deeply grateful for the Ariat team, partners, and consumers who have helped build this wonderful company.
As Ariat enters its next chapter, I believe this is the right moment to begin a leadership transition that supports the company’s continued growth. I’m pleased to share that the Board and I have selected Liz O’Neill to join Ariat as Incoming CEO. Liz will work alongside me and our leadership team over the coming months and will formally assume the CEO role on April 2.
Liz was most recently the Chief Operating Officer at Levi’s and brings deep experience leading global teams and working with partners around the world. Just as important, she understands the responsibility of protecting a strong brand. She respects what we have built at Ariat — our people, our focus on product quality and innovation, our values, and the long-term partnerships that have been such an important part of our success together.
While my role will change, I will remain actively involved as Executive Chair, focusing on strategy and Ariat’s culture and values, while supporting Liz and the leadership team.
Thank you for your continued support of Ariat. I’m grateful for all that we have built together and truly excited about what lies ahead.
Images courtesy Ariat / LinkedIn
