Industry veteran brings decades of experience developing and executing global merchandising strategies for major retailers
Orva, a full-service e-commerce platform specializing in the sale of footwear, apparel, accessories and home products from leading consumer brands, announced the appointment of Jeff Espersen in the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer. Espersen will lead Orva’s merchandising strategy primarily in the company’s soft line businesses including shoes, accessories and clothing. This announcement comes shortly after Orva’s appointment of Joe Falcão as Chief Financial Officer as the company enters its next phase of growth.
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“The addition of Jeff in this new role will help solidify Orva’s position as a market-leading e-commerce platform within the apparel industry. We are excited to welcome Jeff to the Orva team and look forward to what we’ll accomplish together.”
“Jeff brings many years of invaluable merchandising experience to Orva following his successful tenures at major retailers including Zappos, DSW and Nordstrom. We look forward to benefitting from his strong experience of implementing and executing innovative strategies and brand initiatives to attract the next generation of customers,” said Elliot Aizer, President of Merchandising at Orva.
Abe Shalom, President of Orva, added, “The addition of Jeff in this new role will help solidify Orva’s position as a market-leading e-commerce platform within the apparel industry. We are excited to welcome Jeff to the Orva team and look forward to what we’ll accomplish together.”
Espersen brings more than two decades of experience supporting and accelerating the merchandising strategies of major retailers and global e-commerce brands. He joins Orva from Zappos, where he served as General Manager and Chief Merchant for 12 years. In this role, Espersen was responsible for brand acquisition, supplier relationships, inventory management and overall merchandising profitability across Zappos brands Zappos.com and 6pm.com. Prior to joining Zappos, Espersen was Vice President and General Merchandising Manager at DSW, Inc. for five years where he expanded the DSW men’s shoes and the men’s and women’s athletic brand. He began his career at Nordstrom where he was a Divisional Merchandising Manager for 20 years.
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Mr. Espersen said, “Orva has built a strong reputation in the e-commerce and apparel industries as a result of its innovative, high-growth business model and the deep industry relationships it has created with notable brands in the space. It’s an honor to join Orva at this exciting time of growth for the company.”
“Having worked closely with Orva for many years, I believe Jeff is a fantastic addition to the team,” said David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas. “Jeff is an excellent brand partner and has experience not only scaling a business, but in managing the most important relationships. He has been a trusted partner and will help Orva grow to an even higher level and be the partner of choice for any brand seeking expertise in succeeding in the marketplace.”
Espersen earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Marketing from the School of Business, Government, and Economics (SBGE) at Seattle Pacific University.