Charles River Apparel Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

Charles River Apparel, based in Sharon, MA, hired Wayne Best as the company’s chief marketing officer.

Best will be a key member of the company’s senior leadership team and will report directly to CEO and Owner Barry Lipsett. This addition comes as the company looks to increase its focus on the evolving needs of its customers and consumers by developing its brand presence and strengthening its digital platform. In this newly created position, Best will oversee all marketing functions as Charles River Apparel aims to scale its brand and marketing operations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Wayne to our crew,” Lipsett said. “Wayne brings with him a wealth of relevant experience needed to drive this next chapter of growth for the company. He has a unique skillset and a passion for ensuring customer success—one of our key foundational values—while fully embracing consumer-centricity in his marketing approach. There’s no one better positioned to help accelerate our growth as CMO.”

Before joining Charles River Apparel, Best was vice president of marketing at ’47 for seven years. He played a key role in elevating the company into a global brand and one of the largest family-owned businesses in the state. Prior roles include global director of consumer marketing at New Era Cap where he helped develop the business into one the largest cap companies in the world during his 10-year tenure and senior marketing roles at Adidas, Salomon and Taylor Made for seven years.

“This is an exciting new chapter for Charles River Apparel, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it,” Best said. “The challenges of 2020 have changed consumer behaviors significantly, and ownership at Charles River Apparel recognizes the importance of a meaningful brand to consumers which will ultimately benefit our established customers. Charles River Apparel enjoys a leadership position in the markets we currently compete in and we believe our brand-building efforts will only strengthen our positioning with our customers and introduce this great brand to a wider audience.”