VF Corp. on Tuesday announced that Stefano Saccone has been appointed to the position of vice president, general manager of Vans, EMEA. Saccone will lead the brand and its business across the EMEA region beginning April 1, 2019.

“As a diverse region comprising 40 unique countries, EMEA remains a key growth area for Vans,” said Martino Scabbia Guerrini, group president, EMEA, VF Corp. “Stefano’s deep knowledge of the region and market expertise put him in a strong position to drive the future prosperity of the brand and deliver on the expectations we have for Vans and VF throughout EMEA.”

Saccone joins the Vans brand from VF’s Eastpak brand, where he most recently served as vice president, general manager, based in Antwerp, Belgium. He replaces Jan Van Leeuwen, who previously served as vice president, general manager of Vans EMEA, before his November 2018 appointment to the position of vice president, general manager, The North Face, EMEA.

“We are pleased to have Stefano join the Vans family and assume brand leadership in EMEA,” said Doug Palladini, global brand president, Vans. “He has a strong track record of proven leadership and success within the VF brand portfolio that he brings to Vans in this highly important region. The Vans global leadership team looks forward to partnering closely with Stefano and his talented group of regional experts as we build our business worldwide around Vans’ purpose of enabling creative expression.”

“It’s an incredibly exciting time to join Vans,” said Saccone. “As the brand recently announced its intention to grow global revenue to $5 billion by fiscal year 2023, I look forward to helping Vans meet this goal by leveraging its worldwide authenticity to connect with consumers across Europe in relevant and meaningful ways.”

Saccone (46) has more than 20 years of international experience in sales, marketing, merchandising and brand leadership across the apparel, footwear, and accessories categories. Before joining VF in 2012 as VP  Sales & Marketing for the Napapijri brand in EMEA, Saccone held management positions with Nike, Ralph Lauren, P&G and Ermenegildo Zegna.

Born in the United States, Saccone has lived and worked in the U.S., the U.K., France, Switzerland, Italy, and most recently, Belgium. In his new role, he will be based at VF International’s headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland.