VF names Lauren Guthrie as vice president, global inclusion and diversity

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Nov 3, 2020

VF Corporation, operator of the Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies brands, has named Lauren Guthrie as vice president, global inclusion and diversity (I&D).

In the role, Guthrie will be responsible for leading VF’s global I&D efforts and directing, developing and operationalizing the company’s strategy, with a focus on transformational change, the company said. 

Guthrie, who has worked with VF and its subsidiary The North Face for over five years, previously served as VF's vice president, Council to Advance Racial Equity (CARE) and inclusion and diversity for the Americas region. In the role, she developed and activated the CARE program "to enhance VF’s external racial equity initiatives while also creating more opportunities to support the BIPOC workforce throughout VF and its brands," the company said. 

“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. 

“[Guthrie] 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.”

Outside of these diversity efforts, Guthrie previously served as The North Face's vice president of regional merchandising, Americas. Prior to her time with VF, she also served as senior director and general manager of Old Navy's performance active category; director of global merchandising of women's running footwear for Nike; and as senior merchandiser for Levi's men's tops and bottoms, North America, among other roles. 

In her new role, Guthrie succeeds Reggie Miller, who is leaving VF to pursue other opportunities.

VF recently issued its second Inclusion & Diversity Annual Profile, which provides an overview of the company’s I&D program and its progress toward meeting specific diversity goals.