Imperial, the Bourbon, MO-based headwear manufacturer, hired Jane Smith, who formerly led marketing for Merrell and Chaco, as VP of Marketing.
Imperial owns and operates multiple brands and companies, including Imperial, Pukka, Winston Collection, and the Peter Millar Licensing Company.
Smith brings over 25 years of global marketing leadership across digital transformation, omni-channel strategy and brand growth to the role. She joins Imperial from Wolverine Worldwide, where she most recently served as VP of Marketing & Digital Media for the Merrell and Chaco brands.
In her role at Wolverine Worldwide, Smith is reported to have “managed a media budget exceeding $35 million, oversaw lifecycle marketing and consumer journey optimization, and partnered closely with executive leadership to drive long-term growth.” Her leadership contributed to “meaningful gains in revenue, customer lifetime value, and digital performance across global markets.”
Prior to Wolverine Worldwide, Smith held senior marketing roles at Merrell and Cat Footwear, where she led integrated global campaigns, digital transformation initiatives and e-commerce growth strategies. Earlier in her career, she built and scaled digital practices for international clients, including Dell, Microsoft and Oracle, and served as global marketing director for WorldWide Retail Exchange, managing brand strategy across Europe and the United States.
“Jane brings the strategic rigor, digital expertise, and brand leadership that align perfectly with Imperial’s growth priorities,” said Jeremy Davis, CEO at Imperial. “Her experience scaling global brands will be instrumental as we continue to expand our market presence and elevate the Imperial brand.”
At Imperial, Smith will lead global marketing strategy, focusing on brand positioning, digital acceleration and consumer engagement as the company continues to grow across golf, lifestyle and corporate channels.
Image courtesy Imperial
