Spanx Appoints Caroline (Cricket) Whitton CEO and Jeanne Jackson Executive Chair
Spanx, the global lifestyle and shapewear brand, has appointed Caroline (Cricket) Whitton chief executive officer and Jeanne Jackson executive chair of the board.
As CEO, Whitton succeeds Kim Jones, who left in July and is serving as the general manager of Blakely Ventures. Whitton has led the day-to-day operations since Jones’ departure.
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Whitton most recently served as Spanx’s president and chief growth officer, leading all revenue and growth efforts globally. She has driven the brand’s digital transformation since joining in 2017. Prior to Spanx, she drove digital growth at brands such as Design Within Reach, where she was head of digital marketing and e-commerce, and Wayfair, where she was general manager of AllModern.com. She will partner with Jackson and Spanx’s all-female board to execute ambitious growth plans.
Jackson brings decades of executive leadership experience at leading apparel, retail and lifestyle brands to the role. She has been president of Nike, CEO of Walmart.com and CEO of Banana Republic, in addition to holding leadership posts at Saks Fifth Avenue, Victoria’s Secret and the Walt Disney Co. She is serving on the boards of Moncler SpA, Monster Beverage and Delta Airlines.
“I am so happy to announce Cricket as the CEO of Spanx. Her deep commitment to our brand gives me a lot of confidence in the continued success of our business,” said Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. “I am also thrilled to welcome Jeanne Jackson to the Spanx family. Her unparalleled industry experience will be invaluable as we enter this next phase of growth and innovation. Cricket and Jeanne make a powerful team and I’m looking forward to working closely with them both in their new roles.”
“I am honored to continue leading the incredible team at Spanx in this new capacity during this critical growth moment in the company’s journey,” said Whitton. “I’m energized by the opportunity to partner even more closely with Sara, our visionary founder, and to collaborate with Jeanne.”
Asked about the next phase, Whitton told WWD they are focused on “supercharging our digital transformation, building out our global footprint, and leveraging Spanx technology to create even more category-transforming products.
“These have all been central to our success over the years and remain core to our future strategy,” said Whitton.
“I have long admired the evolution and thoughtful expansion of the Spanx business,” said Jackson. “It has grown beyond its roots as a category-creator in shapewear and is increasingly recognized as a performance apparel business that cannot be defined by a single category. The best is yet to come for Spanx, and I look forward to working with Cricket, Sara and the board to drive the brand to the next level.”
Asked if Jackson’s post was a full-time role, a company spokeswoman said she will play an active role on the company’s board. The role of executive chairman is new.
The Spanx brand, founded by Blakely in 2000, was an early pioneer in the shapewear category and has since grown into a lifestyle brand offering activewear, apparel, denim, intimates, swimwear, leggings, shapewear and hosiery. Its products are sold in more than 50 countries.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Spanx has been majority-owned by Blackstone since 2021.
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