Michael Crooke, former CEO of Patagonia and Pearl Izumi, has become president of Hot Topic, the teen chain. Crooke will oversee all elements of the Hot Topic brand including music, merchandising, planning and allocation, marketing, store design and visual, store operations and hottopic.com.
Crooke was most recently a senior advisor to Steve Case in Revolution Living, LLC. In addition, he completed his PhD in management from the Claremont Graduate University in 2008. From 1999 to 2005 he served as president and CEO of Patagonia, Inc. and Patagonia's parent company, Lost Arrow Corporation. Prior to Patagonia, Crooke served as CEO and chairman of Pearl Izumi.
Crooke has served and currently serves on the board of directors for a number of private and non-profit organizations. In addition, in the late 1970's Crooke served our country as an elite member of the Navy SEALS.
In his role as Hot Topic president, he will report to Betsy McLaughlin, the company's CEO. Jerry Cook will assume the title of COO and maintain his current responsibilities to oversee all operational support functions for Hot Topic, Inc.Betsy McLaughlin said, “We are extremely pleased to have Michael join us as the Hot Topic Division President. Michael's experience leading customer focused, culture centric, lifestyle retailers makes him an ideal fit for our team. In addition to his intense focus on connecting with the customer and driving high brand loyalty, Michael's experience growing a brand while maintaining the authenticity and values of the organization will significantly strengthen our senior management team. Michael's passion, tenacity and profound commitment to bringing new ideas to the table will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for the Hot Topic brand.”
