by Kirsten Darrow has joined the company as chief marketing officer and Jim Hardy has been named chief retail officer
PELHAM, Ala. — Gabriella White, parent company of luxury home furnishings brands Summer Classics, Gabby and Wendy Jane, has named Jim Hardy as chief retail officer, a new position, and Kirsten Darrow as chief marketing officer, a role Hardy held on an interim basis the past several months.
Darrow comes to the company from Fred Meyer Jewelers, where she worked for just over 13 years in various roles such as group vice president of merchandising, marketing and e-commerce and as vice president and director of marketing. She was previously vice president of marketing at Platinum Rewards/Hyde Park Jewelers and before that was sales and marketing manager at Applications Systems Corporation.
“With a keen eye for innovation and a proven track record of success, Kirsten has consistently led teams to surpass expectations, aligning organizational strategies and delivering impactful results,” the company said. “Her dedication to excellence and collaborative leadership style will inspire and elevate Gabriella White’s marketing efforts to new heights. We look forward to leveraging her expertise as we continue to innovate, grow and exceed our goals.”
Jim Hardy has been the company’s interim chief marketing officer for the past five months and also has been a member of its board of directors for the past four and a half years.
Since September 2022, he has been executive chairman of apparel and accessories resource Amour Vert and was previously president of luxury furniture resource Maker & Son.
He also has been interim president, business development consultant and vice president of omnichannel retail at One Kings Lane and was a division president at Brown Jordan. He also previously held various executive roles during his 25 years with Ralph Lauren, including senior vice president, senior vice president of stores and flagship stores, vice president, managing director, Ralph Lauren Europe and division merchandise manager, Ralph Lauren New York, to name several key roles.
In his new position, he reports to William White, chief executive officer of Gabriella White LLC and founder of Gabby.
The company said Hardy will be responsible for “driving the company’s retail strategy forward, enhancing the customer experience and fostering continued growth and innovation across all retail channels. Jim’s extensive experience and proven track record of success in the retail industry make him the ideal leader to drive retail initiatives. We look forward to leveraging his expertise to further elevate the brand and deliver exceptional experiences to customers.”
Darrow also reports to William White.
“Gabriella White, our family of brands including Summer Classics, Gabby and Wendy Jane, continues to create new opportunities and growth for expansion with its rich history of brandy legacy for furnishing life’s best moments,” White said. “For over 35 years within our family, we have established ourselves as a leading premium furniture designer and producer for customers. We are proud to announce two new appointments tasked to progress our business with a new CMO, Kirsten Darrow as well as Jim Hardy, our chief retail officer in the newly created role. We look forward to engaging their breadth of combined expertise in the luxury retail industry leading our teams and advancing our brand strategies through our stores, retailers and e-commerce channels. We are proud to welcome Kirsten and Jim into our family of brands accelerating growth and expansion while maintaining sustainability for years to come.”
