She’s “one of the retail industry’s most gifted leaders.”
(Press Release) Trish Donnelly, CEO of Urban Outfitters Inc., has joined the board of directors of eponym, a platform that allows brands including Steven Alan, alice + olivia and Jason Wuto to design and distribute eyewear directly to consumers under their own label.
“Trish Donnelly’s leadership in re-establishing Urban Outfitters as a premiere destination for young adults has reinforced her reputation as one of the retail industry’s most gifted leaders,” said Andrew Lipovsky, founder and CEO of eponym. “We are thrilled to have Trish join eponym’s board of directors. She shares our vision for transforming the eyewear industry and her experience and expertise will be a tremendous asset as the company continues to grow.”
Donnelly was appointed CEO of Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) in March after two years as the retailer’s North American president. Prior to joining Urban Outfitters, she served as president of Steven Alan, where she spearheaded the company’s retail store expansion, e-commerce and wholesale growth, and showroom development. She also served as executive vice president of J. Crew Direct and spent twelve years in merchandising at Ralph Lauren.
“I’ve admired the unique business model that Andrew has built, both as a former client and a supporter of the eponym brands,” Donnelly said. “It’s exciting to work with Andrew and his team in an advisory capacity to help scale and further develop this opportunity.”
In addition to designing and distributing eyewear for its brand partners, eponym also manages all product fulfillment, customer service and CRM, and invests in advertising to help grow each partner brand’s market share.
Since the launch of Steven Alan Optical in partnership with eponym in 2013, Steven Alan has seen its eyewear sales double each year, and it has opened shops with plans to open five to 10 more in the next five years.