Genesco Taps Foot Locker Vet Chris Santaella as Journeys Chief Merchandising Officer

Genesco Inc. has named another former Foot Locker exec to its Journeys leadership team.

The Nashville-based company, which also owns Johnston & Murphy, Schuh and other labels, appointed Chris Santaella as EVP and chief merchandising officer for the Journeys group, replacing Pete Hicks who retired in October. Santaella’s appointment is effective Feb. 5.

This week, Andy Gray officially started at Genesco as the president of the Journeys business. He joined following a more than two-decade tenure at Foot Locker, culminating in his role as EVP, global president of Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs and Sidestep.

As for Santaella, the new merchandise chief arrives after more than 30 years at Foot Locker, where he most recently served as SVP, Chief Merchandising Officer overseeing Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports. He started his career at the retailer as a buyer and merchandiser and eventually served in roles such as VP of footwear and VP and general merchandise manager for Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker and Footaction.

“I look forward to partnering with Chris, with whom I’ve worked closely with for many years of my career,” Gray said in a statement. “He’s a highly respected industry leader known for his collaborative management style and successful long-term brand relationships who will strongly complement our already outstanding team.”

In his new role, Santaella will report to Gray and will lead buying, merchandising, planning and product strategy for Journeys, the company said in a statement.

“Chris is an experienced industry veteran and brand strategist who brings a proven track record of leading global product teams. His exceptional brand leadership and strategic vision, coupled with his passion and commitment to youth culture, is the perfect fit to lead the talented Journeys buying and merchandising team as we continue our work to elevate and evolve the business for the future,” said Genesco Board Chair, president and CEO Mimi E. Vaughn in a statement.

After reporting challenging first quarter results in May, Genesco announced it would close more than 100 underperforming Journeys stores in fiscal 2024, versus prior expectations to close 60 stores, to help cut costs at the retailer. The Journeys business saw some improvement in the second quarter and Vaughn outlined a plan to elevate the banner’s performance by increasing product newness, strengthening customer engagement and expanding relationships with Journeys’ target teen customer.

In the most recent third quarter, Genesco reported an 8 percent decline at Journeys, though Vaughn said at the time that sales trends in the Journeys business continue to “sequentially improve.”