Foot Locker veteran joins C-suite at Genesco
Another Foot Locker veteran is joining the leadership team at Genesco Inc.’s largest business unit.
The footwear giant has appointed Chris Santaella as executive VP and chief merchandising officer of the Journeys Group, effective February 5, 2024. He replaces Pete Hicks who retired in October 2023.
Santaella joins Journeys from Foot Locker, where he served more than three decades in successive leadership roles, most recently as senior VP and chief merchandising officer responsible for Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports. He led a 125-person global product organization which included divisional buying teams, global product development and product strategy teams.
Santaella will report to Andy Gray, who was named president of Journey Group in November. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in senior leadership roles at Foot Locker, including serving as global president.
“I look forward to partnering with Chris, with whom I’ve worked closely with for many years of my career,” said Gray. “He’s a highly respected industry leader known for his collaborative management style and successful long-term brand relationships who will strongly complement our already outstanding team. Journeys is an iconic concept in teen fashion footwear, synonymous with many of the best global brands in the industry. Chris’ deep experience will help us build upon this solid foundation as we define the next chapter of Journeys’ growth.”
Santaella will lead Journeys’ buying, merchandising, planning and product strategies, building on Journeys foundation as a leader in teen fashion footwear retail and its brand mission of “an attitude you can wear” self-expression inspired by youth culture, the company said.
“Chris is an experienced industry veteran and brand strategist who brings a proven track record of leading global product teams,” said Genesco board chair, president and CEO Mimi E. Vaughn. “His exceptional brand leadership and strategic vision, coupled with his passion and commitment to youth culture, is the perfect fit to lead the talented Journeys buying and merchandising team as we continue our work to elevate and evolve the business for the future,”
Genesco Inc. operates approximately 1,350 retail stores and branded e-commerce websites. Its Journeys, Little Burgundy and Schuh brands serve teens, kids and young adults with on-trend fashion footwear in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. The company’s other brands include Johnston & Murphy. Genesco Brands Group sells branded lifestyle footwear to leading retailers under licensed brands including Levi’s, Dockers and G.H. Bass.