VF Corp recruits innovation manager from Nike

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Sep 23, 2014

The hire smacks of economic warfare — VF Corp (The North Face, Vans, Timberland, etc.) has poached Nike's head of its Sustainable Business Lab.

In fact, Dan Cherian has quite a grasp the Swoosh brand's projects. So VF created a post just for him. The executive has been hired as the new vice president in charge of global innovation, performance apparel and footwear.

"VF has emphasized the importance of product innovation as a key growth driver for our company," said Steve Rendle, senior vice president, Americas.

Dan Cherian's resume includes stints at Pfizer and the Boston Consulting Group.

At VF his mission will be to develop the group's innovation strategy. He is tasked with building a portfolio of innovative products and transferring them to the group's innovation centers in Alameda, California (textile performance) and Stratham, New Hampshire (footwear). These facilities are part of the group's overall innovation strategy, employing chemists, scientists, engineers and designers to develop cutting-edge products.

Last year, VF Corp announced the most recent opening of an innovation center dedicated to jeans.