EXECUTIVE MOVES

Nasty Gal Has New CEO

Sophia Amoruso penned a bestselling book called “#Girlboss” about how she took retailer Nasty Gal from an eBay store to a reportedly $100 million company. Now she has made way for a new boss.

Amoruso announced Jan. 12 on her myriad of social-media accounts that she has named Sheree Waterston as new chief executive officer of the Los Angeles–headquartered retailer. Waterston had served as Nasty Gal’s president since February 2014. She had previously worked as chief product officer for yogawear and athleisure giant Lululemon Athletica.

Amoruso will continue to run the company’s creative ventures. In a blog, Amoruso wrote that brand marketing and creative departments will report to her. “Finance, tech and [human resources] will report to Sheree along with her existing teams in design, merch, production and planning.”

In a video attached to the blog announcement, Amoruso discussed her thinking behind the executive musical chairs.

“I’ve spent a long time, probably the last couple of years, thinking constantly about whether or not this is the job I want or the job that I’m best at,” Amoruso said. “I spent so much wonderful time with our customers that I found myself really wanting to spend my time extending our brand, which means sometimes being out of the office, but it would really shortchange Nasty Gal for me not to be out there, engaging with our customers, learning things and opening new stores.”

In the video, Amoruso mentioned that a second Nasty Gal boutique will open in March, at the Third Street Promenade retail district in Santa Monica, Calif., and that the company will unveil new collaborations with other brands.

In a written statement on the Nasty Gal blog, Amoruso wrote that her company’s new arrangement will be similar to how Net-a-Porter operates. Natalie Massenet founded the company and continues to serve as an executive chairman, but a CEO runs much of the operations.

“This is a choice that will give our team, and our business, legs. And it will give me the freedom to feel that I’m using my talents at my best and highest,” Amoruso said.