VF Corp. announced the appointment of Lauren Guthrie to the position of vice president, global inclusion & diversity (I&D). Guthrie will be responsible for directing, developing and operationalizing the company’s strategy with a focus on transformational change.
“VF has accelerated our focus on inclusion and diversity in recent years, both inside and outside our company, and we’re committed to maintaining the strong momentum we’ve created,” said Anita Graham, VF’s vice president and chief human resources officer. “Lauren is a collaborative, proven leader who has spearheaded some of our most thoughtful and powerful I&D programs aimed at racial equity, social justice and fostering a more inclusive environment for all. She is the ideal person to lead VF and our family of brands into the next phase of this important work.”
Guthrie previously served as VF’s vice president, council to advance racial equity (CARE) and inclusion & diversity for the Americas region. She was selected by VF leadership to develop and activate the company’s CARE program to enhance VF’s external racial equity initiatives while also creating more opportunities to support the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) workforce throughout VF and its brands. Guthrie also helped to establish a network of employee resource groups across VF that focus on addressing the needs of underrepresented employees.
Prior to her involvement in VF’s inclusion and diversity efforts, Guthrie was vice president of regional merchandising, Americas, at the company’s The North Face brand, where she defined and executed the brand’s commercial strategic direction for the region. Before joining VF, Guthrie held merchandising and general management roles with Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike, Levi’s and Old Navy.
Photo courtesy VF Corp.