Dr. Martens has appointed Kate Vacovec as its new Global Commercial Finance Director, effective from early October. She joins the brand from the global consumer business Yum! Brands, the parent company of Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell.
In her new role, Vacovec will lead the company’s global commercial finance team and is tasked with driving forward the company’s commercial strategy and supporting its in-market teams around the world. She will report to Dr. Martens’ Chief Financial Officer Giles Wilson and join the company’s leadership team.
Prior to joining Dr. Martens, she spent 15 years at Yum!, working across a number of senior finance and broader business positions, most recently as CFO of Pizza Hut’s International Operating Markets.
“Kate’s broad range of experience and skills will be a hugely valuable addition to Dr. Martens. She has a first-class reputation as an energetic leader with a proven ability to drive growth for global consumer brands. We are thrilled to have Kate join us and look forward to her being part of our team,” said Giles Wilson, Chief Financial Officer at Dr. Martens.
Vacovec is only the latest addition to Dr. Martens’ leadership team. On 1 October the brand appointed Justin Lee Seungoh as General Manager for South Korea. Seungoh also has a background in consumer brands, having most recently held the position of Head of Marketing for Nespresso in South Korea.
Other recent appointments at the brand include former Marc Jacobs footwear designer Isadora Versiani joining as Global Product Design Director, and Nadia Svensson, previously a Senior Product Director at Adidas, being appointed as Global Merchandising and Product Director.
Additionally, Dr. Martens has appointed former Burberry Global Vice President Katie Morton as its new Global Customer Director, while former President at Sephora Asia, Alia Gogi, joined as an Independent Non-Executive Director, bringing extensive experience in international retail and consumer businesses to the brand.
Vacovec’s appointment also coincides with the brand launching its new global platform under the name of ‘With Bouncing Soles’, which is meant to cement its consumer-first strategy and bring a fresh e-commerce experience.