An Claes named VP supply chain operations EMEA

On October 2, the American group VF Corporation – owner of the Supreme, Vans, The North Face and Timberland fashion brands – appointed An Claes as vice president in charge of supply chain operations for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

Claes took up her role at the beginning of October reporting to Cameron Bailey, VF Corp’s executive vice president of global supply chain, taking over from Stuart Pond, who is now vice president of global supply chain platforms. 

“I am committed to using my experience and customer-focused mindset to further improve VF’s supply chain operations, drive innovation, please our consumers and contribute to the continued success of the business,” Claes detailed in a group statement. 

Born in Belgium, Claes graduated from KU Leuven University with a degree in commercial and supply chain engineering. A specialist in supply chain transformation, before joining VF Corporation she worked as a business consultant at Accenture in Brussels, as vice-president of planning and procurement at Nike for fourteen years, from August 2003 to July 2018 and then at Johnson&Johnson as vice-president of operations, from August 2018 to September 2023.

The VF group, which was founded in 1899 and handed over its general management to Bracken Darrell last June, faces a number of challenges. These include optimising its supply chain in the post-Covid era, the decline in sales of its Vans trainer brand on the US market and the future of its Supreme label, which was acquired in 2020.