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Dive Brief:
Centric Brands on Monday named Rob Smith its new president of the kids’ division, according to a news release.
Smith is the founder and CEO of The Phluid Project, an organization grounded in fashion, education and community. As its sole owner, he retains the CEO title. He previously held senior positions with Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret.
In his role with Centric Brands, Smith will focus on strategic growth and consumer engagement. Centric Brands portfolio includes licenses for Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica and Under Armour.
Dive Insight:
While taking over as president of Centric Brand’s Kids, Smith will work alongside Steve Pinkow, who has served as group president of the kids division for 17 years. Pinkow will retain that role through the end of the year when he becomes a consultant to the company. Pinkow’s advisory role will last through 2026, per the release.
“As a new president, I have the great fortune to learn from Steve until the end of the year as he moves onto retirement,” Smith told Retail Dive in an email. “He’s not only incredibly seasoned here at Centric, but he has a phenomenal reputation [and] legacy in the retail industry.”
Centric Brands has been working to rebuild itself after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May of 2020. Since exiting bankruptcy later that year, the brand collective has been proactive in staffing up its leadership.
Centric Brands currently holds licenses for over 100 brands across men’s, women’s and kids categories. A partnership in May with Authentic Brands Group made Centric the operating partner for Dockers in the U.S. and Canada.