Rhone, the activewear brand, appointed Alexa Andersen as chief merchandising officer. Andersen was SVP of merchandising at Puma North America.
At Puma, Andersen led the North America merchandising organization across wholesale and direct-to-consumer businesses, overseeing footwear, apparel and accessories strategy while driving brand elevation, marketplace segmentation and commercial growth. Andersen also led North America’s collaborations and partnerships strategy.
Prior to Puma, Andersen led product creation and merchandising for strategic initiatives, collaborations and partnerships at Lululemon, “helping build emerging and high-growth areas of the business, leading product strategy across technical performance and major global brand moments, including the Olympic Games, and establishing wholesale and marketplace strategies globally.”
Her career of over 20 years also includes merchandising leadership roles at Adidas, Asics and Nike.
At Rhone, she will oversee the merchandising and design teams, as the brand continues to scale its product and retail strategy.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Alexa to Rhone,” said Nate Checketts, CEO and co-founder of Rhone. “Her track record building and elevating merchandising organizations at some of the most respected brands in the industry speaks for itself, but what stood out most was how naturally her values align with ours. Alexa understands that great product and long-term brand building go hand in hand, and she’s going to be an incredible partner as we continue to grow with intention.”
Raised in Mexico and shaped by living and working across the U.S., Italy and the Netherlands, Andersen brings a global perspective and multicultural leadership style to her new role.
“After spending my career at some incredible big brands, I’ve seen how the pressure to deliver short-term growth can sometimes pull focus away from long-term vision and brand building,” said Andersen. “What drew me to Rhone is the chance to be part of a business that’s moved past the startup stage but is still very much in growth mode, where you can actually see the fruits of your labor. The product is incredible, the people are some of the most genuine I’ve met in this industry, and it’s clear that Nate and Ben’s commitment to Mental Fitness isn’t just a marketing message, it’s something they truly live and believe in. I couldn’t be more excited to help build what’s next.”
Rhone operates over 20 stores across the U.S. Wholesale accounts include REI; department stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Dillard’s; fitness clubs including Equinox, Peloton Studios, and CorePower Yoga; and golf specialty pro shops.
Images courtesy Rhone
