Gap Inc. taps Walmart alum in ‘fashiontainment’ push

Another fresh face is joining Gap Inc. amid the company’s entertainment push.

Earlier this year, Gap Inc. enlisted Kaufman, a former Paramount exec, to the newly created chief entertainment officer position, putting her in charge of scaling the company’s content, entertainment and licensing platform. Kaufman now oversees efforts across gaming, music, sports, movies, consumer products and collaborations.

The job was created because “fashion is entertainment,” Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson said at the time of her appointment, calling the effort “fashiontainment.”

After Kaufman’s arrival, another Paramount alumna joined the entertainment push. In May, Gap Inc. appointed Lourdes Arocho , formerly of Paramount Global, as its senior vice president and head of licensing. Arocho leads licensing across the apparel company’s portfolio, with a particular focus on brand extensions, partnerships and direct-to-retail opportunities to connect the company to entertainment, sports and cultural moments.

In an email to staffers shared with Retail Dive, Kaufman praised Breton’s work at Walmart, calling it “remarkable.” She also highlighted his varied career at companies such as Condé Nast, Hearst, Squarespace and Foursquare, and his work with celebrities like LeBron James and Elton John.

“This is such an exciting next step in building our Fashiontainment platform and supporting our brands as we continue to move at the speed of culture,” Kaufman wrote.

In addition to Breton’s appointment, Gap Inc. brought another Walmart veteran into the fold this year. In May, the company hired Michael Francis as chief customer officer at Old Navy and head of marketing shared services at Gap Inc. Francis is the founder and former CEO of marketing firm Fairview Associates and held previous leadership positions at Walmart, DreamWorks, J.C. Penney and Target.

In the company’s Q1 earnings, overall net sales were up 1% year over year to $3.5 billion, and comps rose 2%. Old Navy’s Q1 net sales rose 1% from a year prior to $2 billion, while net sales and comparable sales at its namesake brand both jumped 10%. Athleta’s net sales fell 12%, and its comps declined 11% from the year-ago quarter.

The company will report its Q2 earnings on Thursday.