Abercrombie names chief digital and technology officer

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jul 20, 2021

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced on Monday the appointment of former Equinox executive Samir Desai as its chief digital and technology officer. 

In the newly created role, Desai will be responsible for leading the company’s ongoing digital transformation strategy, including developing strategic initiatives through data and analytics, optimizing customer and user experience, and evolving the digital experiences of the company’s brand portfolio. 

He will equally be a member of the Albany, Ohio-based company’s executive steering committee and will report directly to executive officer Fran Horowitz.

“We are pleased to welcome Samir to Abercrombie & Fitch Co. His robust background and deep knowledge of technology innovation will be incredibly valuable as we continue our transformation journey to being a digitally led retailer,” said Horowitz. 

“Over the past several years, we have prioritized investing in our digital capabilities. With Samir's leadership, we look forward to further enhancing our omni-channel experiences and technology practices to remain close to our global customers.”

Desai joins Abercrombie & Fitch from Equinox, a luxury fitness company, where he most recently served as chief technology officer. In that role, he was responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive data strategy across the brand portfolio, launching a direct-to-consumer digital media business, creating customer experiences that fused physical and digital strategies, and more.

Abercrombie, who equally owns Hollister and Gilly Hicks, reported a bigger-than-expected 61 percent jump in first-quarter sales back in May, as the apparel retailer benefited from shoppers returning to its stores and using its enhanced online business.