Kendra Scott Appoints Adrienne Gernand as Chief Business Officer

Kendra Scott Design Inc. has tapped Adrienne Gernand as chief business officer, effective April 27.

In this newly created role, Gernand will be charged with strengthening the organization’s strategic category expansion, enabling scalability and advancing the brand’s vision.

“Adrienne has a proven track record for identifying high-potential growth opportunities,” said Chris Blakeslee, chief executive officer of Kendra Scott. “Her appointment lays the foundation for advancing the brand onto the global stage and into new product categories. Her ability to navigate complex retail environments, spanning emerging companies to large, established organizations, makes her uniquely qualified to accelerate our expansion strategy,” he said.

Blakeslee was named CEO of Kendra Scott in January, having previously been CEO of Athleta and before that president of Alo Yoga. He was hired to accelerate the brand’s growth, while founder Kendra Scott moved to the role of chief visionary officer and executive chairwoman.

Throughout her career, Gernand has led retail, wholesale, licensing and real estate initiatives at brands such as Gap Inc., including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta to The Children’s Place. At Gap, she oversaw the company’s international portfolio across more than 40 countries, while leading growth through wholesale expansion and licensing. Her most recent position was Gap president/managing director, international and B2B division, which she held three years until 2024, and before that was senior vice president, global real estate and store development from 2020 to 2021. Earlier, she was senior vice president, international and wholesale at The Children’s Place, having spent the previous 17 years at Gap.

“I am thrilled to join Kendra Scott at such an exciting time,” said Gernand. “I look forward to building on the company’s strong customer-first foundation and shaping a future-ready strategic partnership portfolio that supports Kendra and Chris’ vision for globalization.”

Recently, Mike McMullen was named chief financial officer, effective April 27. He had been CFO of Yeti Holdings.

With its new hires, Kendra Scott looks to continue to build its success and strengthen its position as a contemporary lifestyle brand while expanding into new categories including eyewear and footwear. Early momentum across the portfolio includes the strong introduction of Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott’s lifestyle offering and its debut into hospitality and the growth of the core Kendra Scott business.

“We are investing in world-class leadership and strengthening our global retail capabilities as we evolve into an attainable luxury house,” said Blakeslee.