As a part of its continued global expansion, Canada Goose Holdings Inc. has promoted Carrie Baker to president, a new role at the company.
She will continue to report to Dani Reiss, chairman and CEO, who will still oversee all aspects of the business, including operations, and strategy. The move will consolidate commercial leadership and marketing under Baker.
“Carrie has played an instrumental role in making Canada Goose the business it is today. She is a dynamic leader and proven operator, and I am excited to partner with her in executing the Company’s bold vision,” said Reiss in a statement. “This change in structure marks an important inflection point for Canada Goose, on our way to the next milestone.”
In her most recent role Baker was responsible for accelerating the North American business, one of the company’s fastest growing regions, achieving 36% revenue growth in the first three quarters of fiscal 2022.
Watch on FN
A company veteran, Baker has been with Canada Goose for more than 10 years, having also held positions of EVP, chief of staff, and chief communications officer. She has helped lead critical initiatives including the company’s IPO and the development of its “Sustainable Impact Strategy.”
“Seeing the company’s growth around the world and expansion into new categories over the last ten years, Canada Goose is truly a brand like no other,” added Baker. “I am proud of the incredible brand momentum we’ve built over the last decade, and our proven success in establishing sustainable industry standards, but it’s only the beginning – I am truly excited to unlock the incredible opportunity ahead of us.”
As Baker steps up, Ana Mihaljevic will assume the dual role of president of North America and EVP of sales operations & planning, expanding her operational leadership experience in Canada Goose’s most established commercial market. With almost two decades of experience, Mihaljevic has played a pivotal role in establishing the company’s insights, sales operations and planning functions as the company has accelerated its direct-to-consumer business.
This news comes days after the Canadian outerwear brand announced a new joint venture with its longstanding partner Sazaby League Ltd. to expand its operations in Japan. Called “Canada Goose Japan,” the joint venture plans to accelerate the brand’s DTC expansion, including opening more retail stores in the country. This agreement will replace an exclusive national distributor arrangement between Sazaby League and Canada Goose.
The brand has also branched out into new categories recently, namely launching its first collection of footwear in September. Its new range of shoes were in the works for three years, beginning with its acquisition of Baffin in 2018, which allowed the company to gain expertise in the category.
“Category expansion has been a key focus for our business throughout the past decade. The strongest brands grow outside their category, but only after they’ve commanded it,” Canada Goose president and CEO Dani Reiss told FN in September. “We are synonymous with winter and known for our cold-weather parkas, but we’ve also prioritized the expansion of our product offering with the introduction of lightweight down, rainwear, windwear, knitwear, and now, footwear.”
