VF Corporation Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Robert K. Shearer will retire in March 2015, after 28 years with the company. VF named Scott A. Roe, 49, currently Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, to succeed Shearer in the role of Chief Financial Officer.
Bobs commitment to VF, our people, our shareholders and the consumers of our 30-plus brands is unsurpassed, said Eric C. Wiseman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of VF. His focus is always on creating shareholder value through growth and an effective business model. Bob has the uncommon ability to be both strategic and execution-minded. Over the years he has been an outstanding partner to me and the rest of the VF management team around the world.
Wiseman continued, While Bob is one of the most accomplished business leaders I have ever worked with, he is an equally successful leader of people. He has led the development of a global finance team that functions as business partners to brand leaders, while instilling a consistently high standard of financial discipline and performance.
Bob will actively serve in his role until the end of next March, and we know his powerful leadership, focus on total shareholder return, mentoring and commitment to a seamless transition will mark every minute, Wiseman said. The timing of this announcement allows everyone ample time to ensure a smooth and orderly transition that will help us continue the strong financial performance our shareholders have come to expect of VF.
Scott Roe brings strong leadership, insight and a deep understanding of VFs financial model, Wiseman said. He has worked closely with Bob and the VF leadership team for many years. He is an active member of our Operating Committee and has helped to drive the financial success weve achieved. Scott is completely and uniquely qualified to succeed Bob.
Shearer, 62, joined VF in 1986 as Assistant Controller and was promoted to Vice President, Controller in 1994. He was named Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 1998 and was elevated to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2005. In that role, he is responsible for leading VFs global Finance, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Accounting and Controls, Financial Reporting, Real Estate, Risk Management, Global Business Technology, Investor Relations, Aviation and Corporate Communications organizations.
During Shearers tenure as Chief Financial Officer, VFs revenues have more than doubled to $11.4 billion in 2013. The companys share price has increased five-fold during his time as CFO. All along, VF has maintained a strong balance sheet. In 2013 and 2014, buy-side analysts voted him Best CFO” in the Consumer Apparel, Footwear & Textiles sector. Under Shearers leadership, VFs Investor Relations function was also named one of the sectors best.
Roe joined VF in 1996 as an Audit Manager, and since that time has held multiple positions of increasing responsibility within the companys Finance organization. In 2012, Roe was promoted to Vice President of Finance for VF Corporation, based in Greensboro, N.C., after serving as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for VF International, which is headquartered in Switzerland. He was a key participant in building VFs growing International platform.
Roe will report to Wiseman. He began his career as a Senior Auditor for Ernst & Young, serving Fortune 500 clients in the apparel, manufacturing and service industries. He then held several roles with Blue Circle Inc. and Alumax Inc. (now part of Alcoa), where he served as Division Controller prior to joining VF. Roe received a bachelors degree in Accounting from the University of Tennessee in 1987, and earned his C.P.A. license in 1990.
VF Corporation’s Outdoor and Action Sports Coalition owns 11 brands, including The North Face, Vans, Timberland, SmartWool, Jansport, Eagle Creek and Reef.
