President

Gabriella White•Pelham, AL

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Gabriella White is seeking a President to provide strategic and operational leadership across the organization, partnering closely with the Executive Management team to shape long-range priorities, translate the company’s vision into actionable plans, and drive performance across the business. This leader will play a central role in aligning the company’s major functions, with particular emphasis on merchandising, product development, marketing, global sourcing, and manufacturing across our luxury retail, ecommerce and commercial, interior design trade, and wholesale channels. At the heart of this role is a strong merchant mindset. The President will bring sound commercial judgment, a deep understanding of the customer, and the ability to identify and act on opportunities across assortment, pricing, categories, and markets. Paired with strong marketing and demand generation leadership, this individual will help drive profitable growth, strengthen business performance, and position Gabriella White for continued success across its markets.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field required; MBA preferred.
Minimum of ten years of progressive business leadership experience, including 10–15 years in an executive role.
Proven track record as a President, COO, or equivalent senior operating leader, with direct accountability for annual plan execution and multi-functional team leadership.
Superb analytical skills and demonstrated financial acumen, including full P&L management experience.
Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a high-performing executive team — comfortable making the tough calls when performance demands it.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; exceptional executive presence.
Deep understanding of changing market dynamics and business principles across functional areas.
Demonstrated commitment to disciplined operating systems and processes, applied with consistency across the organization.
Working proficiency with AI platforms and LLM tools, with the ability to lead organizational adoption.
Passionate customer and brand advocate, with the ability to represent the company externally at the highest level.
Ability and willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, including internationally.

Responsibilities

Owns annual business plan execution and achievement of PandL objectives, partnering with the CEO and Executive Team to translate long-range strategy into functional priorities and measurable goals.
Monitors company-wide goal completion, drives proactive course corrections, and ensures priorities and decisions are consistently cascaded across the organization.
Runs the weekly Executive Management meeting, maintaining the operating rhythm that drives accountability and results.
Leads, manages, and holds accountable the C-Suite, including regular one-on-ones and quarterly performance reviews with all direct reports.
Sources and recommends candidates for C-Suite and key management roles, and champions succession planning across all key functions.
Ensures every department has the right structure, talent, and change management plans in place, and drives a culture of accountability and alignment with core values.
Owns end-to-end merchandising strategy, ensuring assortment, pricing, and product architecture decisions are commercially disciplined and aligned with brand positioning.
Partners with and holds accountable the VP of Product Development on assortment execution, stage-gate discipline, and commercial performance; product vision and aesthetic direction continue to be shaped by executive leadership and the product development team.
Directs seasonal collection strategy and the go-to-market calendar, and reviews product/category performance regularly to inform assortment, pricing, and markdown decisions.
Owns marketing, advertising, and promotional strategy across all channels, directly accountable to ROAS, customer acquisition cost, and revenue contribution targets.
Partners with marketing leadership on brand campaigns and a paid, owned, and earned media strategy, reviewing performance regularly and ensuring marketing and merchandising priorities stay tightly integrated.
Partners with the COO and supply chain leadership to set global sourcing and manufacturing strategy, holding them accountable for factory relationships, vendor management, and quality assurance across Asia and other key production regions.
Reviews upholstery and case goods manufacturing performance, landed cost, lead time, and inventory flow with the COO.
Stays informed on global trade, tariff, and geopolitical developments affecting sourcing regions, and joins strategic factory and sourcing visits as needed.
Maintains full accountability for company PandL performance and leads annual and in-season merchandise financial planning, including open-to-buy, demand forecasting, and inventory investment.
Builds and defends the annual operating budget and capital plan, owns rolling revenue, margin, and inventory forecasts, and drives corrective action when performance lags.
Reviews and approves financial plans, budget allocations, and capital investment decisions with appropriate C-Suite leaders.
Assists in evaluating potential acquisition targets using the company's proven evaluation checklist.
Holds the CIO, a direct report, accountable for technology strategy, systems architecture, and execution, and partners with the CIO to build customer- and trade-facing digital ecosystems, including designer loyalty and engagement platforms.
Reviews technology roadmap and platform performance with the CIO regularly, and champions strategic adoption of AI and emerging technologies across merchandising, supply chain, customer experience, and operations.
Ensures operational excellence across distribution, fulfillment, and showroom/store execution, delivering a consistent premium customer experience.
Partners with operations and technology leadership to scale infrastructure and deploy AI-enabled tools that improve service levels and the post-purchase experience.
Integrates all major operating functions, eliminates silos, and filters the CEO's strategic direction into executable, functional plans for the organization.
Champions a healthy, values-driven culture, partners with HR leadership on employee development and recognition, and serves as the primary internal spokesperson for the company's annual plan and priorities.
Visits stores, showrooms, and key trade and wholesale customers regularly, attends major trade shows, and travels up to 40% domestically and internationally, including one annual trip to Asia, to support these relationships.
Maintains relentless focus on simplicity and clarity, removes barriers to progress, and sustains a high-trust, aligned relationship with the CEO.