Levi Strauss & Co. introduces new president, CEO

Michelle Gass will succeed Chip Bergh as President and CEO after 12 years.

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has appointed Michelle Gass as the new President and CEO, replacing interim President and CEO Chip Bergh.

Gass's succession will be effective 29 January 2024. A former Fortune 500 CEO, Gass started her role as president in January 2023. Before LS&Co, she served as CEO and director of Kohl's Corporation.

During her tenure in the denim brand, Gass has overseen its product, merchandising and marketing functions over its digital and global commercial operations. She has also set a broader international growth as a denim lifestyle apparel business and a newer operation model to a DTC-first organization.    

Outgoing President and CEO Bergh, meanwhile, had overseen the advancement of Levi’s men’s and women’s U.S. wholesale product line into a global, DTC-driven one, becoming one of the world’s most valued apparel companies. He also initiated more ambitious brand pushes, such as the naming rights for Levi’s Stadium and partnerships with figures in the music industry.

In 2019, Bergh led the return of LS&Co. to the public markets with a successful IPO. And in 2021, the company acquired Beyond Yoga. He was even named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2019 by Fortune magazine.

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