William Kernan
William (Will) Kernan is a British businessman and CEO of the high street fashion retailer, River Island.[1].
Life and Career
Will Kernan graduated in economics from the University of Exeter, where he is currently on the advisory board[2].
He joined New Look in 1999, holding several senior roles including Finance Director, Group Managing Director, and Chief Operating Officer. He was part of the team who took the retailer from public to private ownership, as well as growing EBITDA to a peak of £250m[3].
He led The White Company through a rapid growth phase, reporting double-digit growth in his first year of leadership[4]. The company was listed in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 for Profit/Sales and International Growth for four years out of Kernan’s five-year tenure[3].
In 2017, he assumed the role of CEO at Wiggle[5], leading a distressed turnaround to recovery, overseeing the operational merger of Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles, and leading the acquisition of Bike 24 to become a significant player in the global market[6].
He joined River Island in September 2019[7] and has led the business back into growth during the global pandemic[8]. River Island returned to profit for the year to 25 December 2021, with Kernan noting that River Island had built the "resilience to navigate current macro-economic headwinds"[9].
Since joining the business, Kernan has focused on strengthening the brand’s global position as a fashion retailer through wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom[10] and Hudson’s Bay Company[11]. In September 2022, Kernan said that the US was a "major growth opportunity" for River Island, with the business considering launching its first US store[12].
Since he joined, River Island has launched several new product categories including RI Active in 2021[13]; the business additionally launched its beauty division, further demonstrating Kernan's plans for multi-channel growth.[14]
He was named in 2021 in the Top 50 UK CEOs by the company review and jobs website Glassdoor with an employee rating of 94%[15] and ranked in the Retail 100 in 2022 by Retail Week[16]
Will is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the Chairman of luxury biscuit brand The Biscuiteers[17]
References
- ↑ "Will Kernan". Retail Trust. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "Will Kernan | Business School | University of Exeter". business-school.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Will Kernan". Retail Trust. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "White Company founder earns £6m after 14 per cent profit rise". CityAM. 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ Tugby2017-02-03T14:06:00+00:00, Luke. "Wiggle poaches The White Company boss Will Kernan". Retail Week. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ Waller-Davies2019-01-09T11:31:00, Becky. "Ross Clemmow succeeds Will Kernan as Wiggle boss". Retail Week. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ Geoghegan, Jill (2019-06-19). "Exclusive: River Island appoints new CEO". Drapers. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "River Island swings to £51.5m loss but is in "better shape" - Retail Gazette". www.retailgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ Fish, Isabella (2022-09-26). "River Island returns to profit". Drapers. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ↑ UK, FashionNetwork com. "River Island to launch third-party brands online". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ Wessel, Rosalie (2021-12-03). "River Island launches at The Bay in Canada". FashionUnited. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ Wright, Georgia (2022-09-25). "River Island looks to open first US store with 'long term' expansion plan - Retail Gazette". www.retailgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ↑ Bradbury, Sarah (2022-01-12). "RI Active by River Island hits stores and online just in time for the New Year". mirror. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "Beauty". River Island. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "Top CEOs UK | Glassdoor". www.glassdoor.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "The Retail 100 is here: Industry's most inspiring individuals celebrated". Retail Week. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ↑ "Biscuiteers appoints Wiggle CEO as chairman | Retail Bulletin". Retail Bulletin | Daily UK Retail News. 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
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