Allbirds, Inc. announced the appointment of Chief Operating Officer Joe Vernachio as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 15, 2024. He succeeds Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds?s co-founder and CEO, who will continue as a member of the Board of Directors and serve as a special advisor to the Company. Mr. Vernachio?s addition to the Board will expand the size of Allbirds?s Board of Directors to eight members.

Vernachio has served as Allbirds?s COO since June 2021. In 2023, the Company increased his responsibilities to include oversight of commercial and international functions, in addition to operations. Vernachio brings decades of experience in the retail industry and a long track record of building enduring brands.

Prior to joining Allbirds, he spent four years as President of outdoor apparel and gear brand Mountain Hardwear, Inc., where he led a successful turnaround from declining sales and losses to robust growth and profitability. In his new role, Vernachio will oversee all operations and continue advancing Allbirds?s strategic transformation plan. Vernachio has been instrumental in leading key initiatives under the Company?s operational transformation, including reducing inventory, transitioning to a distributor model in international markets and optimizing U.S. distribution.

Most recently, he assumed full control over product development. In addition to serving four years as President of Mountain Hardwear, Vernachio spent seven years at The North Face, an outdoor products company and subsidiary of VF Corporation, where he served as Vice President of Global Product. Earlier in his career, he held various leadership positions with global brands including Patagonia, Nike, Roots, Calvin Klein and Spyder.