Nordstrom Rack president Karen McKibbin to retire

By

Robin Driver

Published
Jan 9, 2018

Karen McKibbin will be stepping down from her post as president of Nordstom Rack in March, after over thirty years with Nordstrom, Inc.

McKibbin’s successor has been announced as Geevy Thomas, who previously held the position from 2010 to January 2017. Thomas is currently Nordstrom’s chief innovation officer, having served in various leadership roles within the company since he joined it in 1983, and it is hoped he will continue to lead the brand’s adaptation to evolving retail practices in his new position.  
 
In a release, Blake Nordstrom, co-president of Nordstrom, Inc. praised Geevy and his Innovation team’s contribution to consolidating the brand’s local assets over the last year, adding, “We're fortunate to be able to leverage Geevy's knowledge of our Nordstrom Rack business, which continues to be one of our most productive channels, a driver of innovation and our biggest source of new customers to Nordstrom.”

McKibbin joined Nordstrom in 1985 and served in a number of leadership positions over her three-decade-long career with the brand, including a stint as president of Nordstrom Canada, leading the company’s first ever international expansion of its full-line stores.
 
"Nordstrom has a strong legacy that I've been honored to be part of. It is an incredible brand that will continue to evolve— fueled by the best talent in the business," she stated.
 
Blake Nordstrom in turn commented, "We are indebted to Karen for the many contributions she's made over her more than 30-year career with Nordstrom.”
 
Nordstrom, Inc. was founded in Seattle in 1901 and currently operates 366 stores in 40 states, including 122 full-line stores and 232 Nordstrom Rack stores in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The upscale fashion retailer also distributes its merchandise through a series of brand-specific e-commerce sites.
 
In October of last year, the company’s founding family announced that it had suspended attempts to take the retailer private, as it was facing difficulties in raising the required funds ahead of the holiday period.
 
Nordstrom is yet to release financial results for Q4 2017, but reported lower-than-expected third quarter same-store sales in November due, in part, to disruption caused by last year’s hurricanes.