Custom Menswear Clothier J.Hilburn Names New CEO

DALLAS, US –
Media OutReach – 13 July 2022 – J.Hilburn, a leading custom-made menswear brand, announces today that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dave DeFeo is retiring but will remain a Board Member and advisor to the Management Team. Stein Ove Fenne will succeed DeFeo as the new CEO, effective July 14, 2022.

DeFeo was appointed as CEO in 2019, overseeing J.Hilburn’s strategic vision, leading the company through the pandemic and returning the company to increased sales and profitable growth. Taking his place will be Fenne, a direct sales veteran with more than 25 years of experience in leading global businesses with a wealth of direct sales experience.

During his time as CEO, DeFeo led the company to success as it embraced the use of technology and various clienteling tools. These enabled Stylists to work with their Clients virtually using a state-of-the-art fitting technology app on their phones, a 3D garment configuration tool, visual closets and virtual calls, paving a new way for Clients to purchase custom clothing through meeting with their personal Stylists either virtually or in person, whichever they preferred. Under DeFeo’s leadership, the brand also expanded its ever-popular range of custom casual clothing, proving to be a winner when the hybrid work model was adopted everywhere.

DeFeo says, “I am proud that we were able to transform our business and continuously provide high-quality products and services to our Clients through new technology while also expanding our casual assortment. It has been an amazing journey to lead J.Hilburn and see our progress throughout the pandemic. This is an exciting time for the company and our Stylists to grow, and I believe the company will thrive with Fenne’s leadership.”

Roger Lee, Chairman of J.Hilburn, added, “I want to thank DeFeo for the tremendous work he has done to take J.Hilburn through the pandemic and transform the company into a healthy and growing one. I am sad to see DeFeo take a back seat in J.Hilburn’s future but glad he will be staying on as a Board Member and Advisor. We have been very fortunate to find Fenne during our search and are very confident that Fenne will drive our growth strategy and take the company to the next level.”

Fenne served at Tupperware for 17 years before joining J.Hilburn. He was the Managing Director for the Northern Europe sector from 2007 to 2011, where he led the northern European business portfolio spanning 10 countries and successfully turned a four-year revenue decline. He was later appointed as President of the United States and Canada from 2011 to 2018 and Group President of EMEA from 2018 to 2020, overseeing Tupperware’s $1B division in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He also helped spearhead portfolios of 17 independent business units with manufacturing operations in South Africa, Portugal, Belgium, and Greece. After abundant experiences with an Independent Stylist community like J.Hilburn’s, Fenne has a strong understanding of the direct sales business model. He has been influential in developing a high-performance leadership culture, championed innovative digital strategies and social media initiatives, and led the successful turnaround of multiple established and emerging markets. Most recently, Fenne was President of Yes You Can. Earlier in his career, he was recruited to the Norwegian Armed Forces and graduated from the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy.

Commenting on his new position at J.Hilburn, Fenne said, “I am extremely thankful and honored to be J.Hilburn’s new CEO and be part of an amazing and successful company. I have been impressed by the quality of our Stylists, product, and the strength of our Client relationships that I see so much potential in. With this, I am confident that J.Hilburn will continue to be the world’s leading custom-made menswear brand.”

For more information on J.Hilburn, please visit www.jhilburn.com.

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