Former Clarks boss drafted into leadership team following fresh round of senior management departures

Retail Week can reveal that former CEO Victor Herrero has been drafted into a “steering committee”, led by chair Colin Li, in his capacity as a board member of the brand’s majority shareholder Viva Goods, to help run the day-to-day business while the retailer continues its search for a new CEO. 

Former managing director Joe Ulloa is also understood to have returned to the embattled footwear specialist in a consultancy capacity. 

The brand is also facing a fresh exodus of its senior management team, with the latest names to leave including chief marketing officer Tara McRae, head of retail for the UK, Ireland and EMEA region Nick Hayward and senior vice president of commercial Willem van Rensburg.

CMO McRae leaves the business after eight years and has joined Puma as senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy in North America.

Others who have already either left the brand or are in the process of handing in their notices include global kids and accessories category director Rosie McKissock, global head of corporate affairs and sustainability Julian Hargood and head of merchandising and planning for the UK and Ireland Janine Carew.

Sources say the constant churn of senior staff has left Clarks employees worried about the strategic direction and decision making of the brand’s ownership and confused about the shape of the brand’s leadership structure. 

Clarks did not comment on the departures but a spokesperson told Retail Week: “Following the departure of Jon Ram as CEO, Clarks chairman Colin Li and other directors formed a Steering Committee to lead the business while we search for a new CEO.”

Herrero was chief executive of Clarks from February 2021 until he stepped down nine months later to be replaced by Ram. 

Ram left earlier this year after just two years at the helm, despite having been appointed with the intention to grow the business in both its existing and new international markets and to refresh the brand’s image.

The reason for Ram’s departure was never disclosed and Clarks said at the time that he had stepped down to “pursue other opportunities”.

Ram’s exit was also shortly followed by the departure of managing director Bob Neville and chief product officer Victoria Jones in May this year.

It was reported in June that a further 150 jobs were at risk of redundancy at the business but Clarks declined to comment on the redundancies.

The footwear retailer posted a pre-tax loss of £39.8m in 2023, down from a profit of £35.9m in the previous year.