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Shinola Appoints First Female CEO, Shannon Washburn
She has been president of the Detroit-based watch company since 2018.
Shannon Washburn is the new CEO of Detroit-based watch company Shinola.
Detroit—Shinola has appointed Shannon Washburn as its new CEO, the first female to lead to watch and accessories company.
She will succeed Tom Lewand, effective immediately.
Lewand, the former president of the Detroit Lions, announced he was leaving Shinola last week but did not provide details on his next role.
Washburn has been president of Shinola since 2018, succeeding Jacques Panis, who left to head a lab-grown diamond company.
Prior to that, she spent six years as Shinola’s vice president of watch development.
She will continue to serve as president and become a member of the board of directors, reporting to Tom Kartsotis, the founder of Fossil and, later, Bedrock Manufacturing Co., the parent company of Shinola and Filson.
Before joining Shinola, Washburn was a buyer for Dillard’s and worked at Fossil for 14 years.
Her background is in the retail and consumer products industry, specializing in product development, sales and international brand management.
“Shinola has been a place of professional growth for me, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to play a key role in the brand’s journey,” Washburn said in a press release.
Kartsotis said Washburn’s “understanding of all aspects of the business is second to nobody that I know.”
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