Tailored Brands strengthens leadership team with three new hires

By

Robin Driver

Published
May 4, 2021

Tailored Brands, Inc., the owner of the Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Moores Clothing for Men and K&G Fashion Warehouse brands, has announced the appointments of three retail vets to its leadership team. John Tighe will be joining the company as EVP and chief customer officer, Karla Gray as EVP and chief stores officer, and Tim Cooksey as SVP of real estate.

 
Tighe comes to Tailored Brands from tailored menswear manufacturer Peerless Clothing, where he served as president. Before this, he spent more than a decade at JCPenney, where he served in a range of leadership roles, including SVP and head of e-commerce, and SVP and senior general merchandising manager.
 
The executive, who holds a degree in business administration and management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, began his career at May Department Stores Company.

Gray most recently served as VP and general manager for North America Factory Stores at Nike, where she spent a total of 16 years. Other roles held by the executive at the American sportswear giant included VP and GM for Nike direct retail in Asia Pacific and Latin America, and VP for global store operations.
 
Prior to joining Nike, Gray spent 14 years at Gap, Inc., where she began her career after receiving a BA in finance and accounting from Gonzaga University and an MBA from Western Washington University.  
 
Cooksey’s new role will see him manage Tailored Brands’ real estate portfolio and oversee store development, maintenance and facilities.

He brings more than three decades of experience to the position, having most recently served as SVP of real estate and enterprise strategic sourcing at Lowe’s. Before his 15-year stint at the home improvement retailer, Cooksey spent 19 years at US Airways, where he held a range of roles related to facility management and real estate.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome John, Karla and Tim to the Tailored Brands team—especially at a moment when we are seeing such positive momentum in our business and are poised for growth,” said Tailored Brands’ recently appointed interim co-CEO Peter Sachse in a release.
 
“Our continued success depends on our ability to deeply understand our customers’ needs and preferences, so we can show up strong where and how they need us, in all the moments that matter,” he added. “We are confident the appointment of these three distinguished leaders will allow us to fulfill this promise, accelerate our strategies and achieve our full potential.”
 
The new appointments come on the heels of former CEO Dinesh Lathi’s exit from Tailored Brands at the end of March. The executive, who saw the company through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, stepped down as part of a mutual agreement with the board following the group’s reception of a $75 million investment earlier in the same month.
 
At the time, the company said that Lathi and the board had decided that “this is the right time to re-evaluate the skills and experiences needed in the CEO role as the company prepares for its next chapter of growth and success.”
 
Lathi was succeeded by two board members, Sachse and Bob Hull, who will both hold the role of interim co-CEO until a permanent replacement can be found.