PVH appoints first-ever global chief digital officer

By

Robin Driver

Published
May 11, 2019

New York-based apparel group PVH Corp. announced on Friday that it has appointed Marie Gulin-Merle as its first-ever chief digital officer, a role that she will carry out alongside her current position as chief marketing officer of the company’s Calvin Klein brand.
 

In her new role, Gulin-Merle will be responsible for developing PVH’s global digital strategy and leading the company’s digital transformation. Her focus will be on defining and executing the group’s strategic priorities, and on using data and consumer insights in order to devise ways for PVH to better leverage technology to drive consumer engagement.
 
She will also lead the company’s digital council.

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Gulin-Merle joined PVH’s Calvin Klein brand in May of last year, after more than 16 years spent in a range of executive roles at L’Oréal.

Since joining PVH, the graduate of the prestigious HEC Paris business school has spearheaded a number of initiatives at the group, developing and aligning the company’s IT capabilities across its different regions and launching a Digital Academy to train PVH teams.
 
She has also established a global strategic partnership with Google involving the creation of a new data-driven ad-tech platform for all PVH brands.
 
“The world becomes increasingly more technology dependent and the retail landscape continues to change, making the role of CDO more important than ever to our business success,” said Mike Shaffer, PVH’s chief operating and financial officer, in a release. “We believe this newly created role will fuel our transformation, enable us to react strategically to new disruptions and position PVH as a leader while building competitive advantages.
 
Aside from Calvin Klein, PVH’s brand portfolio includes Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Speedo, and Izod. The company reported revenues of $9.7 billion in fiscal 2018, up 8% from $8.9 billion in the previous year.