Apparel retailer Express Inc. announced that the company has appointed two officers to key roles in the organization. Malissa Akay has been named executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, and Sara Tervo has been named executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Both will join Express on September 9, 2019 and report directly to CEO Tim Baxter.
“Since joining Express in June, one of my highest priorities has been to assess the needs of the organization and build a strong leadership team,” said Baxter. “I am pleased to have Malissa and Sara take on these critical roles, as they are exceptional leaders with proven track records driving product and brand strategies that resonate with customers.”
As chief merchandising officer, Akay will oversee women’s and men’s design and merchandising with responsibility for product and merchandising strategy across Express and Express Factory Outlet stores as well as express.com. Akay joins Express from Lane Bryant where she had been executive vice president and general merchandise manager since 2016. Previously, she was with Ralph Lauren where she held global merchandising roles from 2012 to 2016, and prior to that she spent 13 years with DFS Group where she held positions across multiple categories.
As chief marketing officer, Tervo will oversee all aspects of marketing and creative services with responsibility for brand strategy and positioning, customer insights and loyalty. Tervo joins Express from Justice where she had been executive vice president and chief marketing officer since 2016. Previously, she was executive vice president of marketing for the Victoria’s Secret brand portfolio, and prior to that she spent eight years in senior leadership roles across marketing, creative services and public relations for Pink.
