Vera Bradley, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRA) (“Vera Bradley” or the “Company”) today announced that seasoned executives Kristina Cashman and Carrie Tharp have been nominated to join its Board of Directors and will be replacing directors Richard Baum and Matthew McEvoy who are retiring with the end of their terms in June 2020.
“I want to thank two of our valuable board members who are retiring in June – Richard Baum and Matt McEvoy – and of course Vera Bradley’s co-founder Pat Miller who retired from the board in August 2019,” noted Robert Wallstrom, CEO of Vera Bradley. “All three have made an indelible impact on Vera Bradley, and we are very thankful for their leadership and counsel over the years.” Baum is the managing partner of private equity firm Consumer Growth Partners, and McEvoy is the former Chief of Strategy and New Business Development at Burberry Group.
Wallstrom continued, “We are so pleased that Kristina Cashman and Carrie Tharp will join our board. Their vast experience, counsel, and insight will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the challenges in the global and retail environment and transform our business. Kristina and Carrie will bring new voices onto our board as we continue to focus on the future and building out our lifestyle company.”
Cashman has nearly 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry and has been a key member of several highly successful growth company leadership teams, including serving as President of Guy and Larry Restaurants and as Chief Financial Officer of Upward Projects, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Eddie V’s Restaurants, and PF Chang’s. She currently provides consulting and advisory services to restaurant and retail portfolio companies of private equity firms. An Ernst & Young alumnus, she serves on the Basset Furniture Board and as the Chair of their Audit Committee.
Tharp is an experienced digital executive with a track record of growth and innovation in retail and consumer-focused businesses. She is currently Vice President of Retail and Consumer for Google Cloud and previously was the Executive Vice President, Chief Digital Officer of Neiman Marcus Group and Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Ecommerce for the Fossil Group. She has also held key positions at Travelocity, Dean Foods, and Bain & Company.
Cashman and Tharp will join Vera Bradley’s eight other board members: CEO Robert Wallstrom; Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Co-Founder of Vera Bradley; Robert J. Hall, Chairman of the Vera Bradley Board of Directors and President of Green Gables Partners; Mary Lou Kelley, former President, E-Commerce for Best Buy; John E. Kyees, Lead Director of the Vera Bradley Board of Directors and former Chief Financial Officer of Urban Outfitters, Inc.; P. Michael Miller, retired senior partner in the law firm of Hunt Suedhoff Kalamaros; Frances P. Philip, former Chief Merchandising Officer at L.L. Bean, Inc.; and Edward M. Schmults, Chief Executive Officer of Calyx Peak Companies.
“We are excited about Kristina and Carrie joining our board and bringing their unique perspectives to our future development plans,” Wallstrom concluded. “As a company founded by women, for women, we are thrilled to have five strong and accomplished women serve on our Board of Directors.”
2020 Women on Boards, a nonprofit education and advocacy campaign committed to raising awareness about the value of gender-diverse boards with at least 20% female directors, named Vera Bradley a “Winning Company” for its commitment to board diversity.