New CEO at David’s Bridal

Conshohocken-based David’s Bridal announced yesterday that James Marcum has been appointed Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Marcum is expected to join the company this week and will also join the David’s Bridal Board of Directors.  Mr. Marcum replaces Interim CEO Tom Lynch.  

From the press release: 

Mr. Marcum is a seasoned retail, consumer and services industry veteran with over 30 years of leadership experience in large national public and private companies.  He has significant experience leading companies in transition and repositioning them for growth.  Mr. Marcum has served as the CEO, COO and CFO of notable companies such as Central Parking, Circuit City, Hollywood Entertainment, Stage Stores and Marshalls, among others.  Throughout the course of his career, he has been recognized for his leadership skills and his demonstrated ability to develop innovative and successful strategies centered around a deep understanding of businesses and their customers.  Mr. Marcum joins David’s Bridal from Apollo Management, where he was a Senior Operating Partner.  He also brings significant board experience having served on the boards of both public and private companies, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Iconix Brand Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest brand managers.   

“It is my privilege to welcome Jim to David’s Bridal,” said Christine Pope, Board Chair of David’s Bridal and a Senior Vice President at Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.  “Jim has considerable experience leading retail and consumer companies through transitions, resetting strategy, building teams, and positioning companies for growth.  He is an excellent leader with tremendous operating and financial experience and is passionate about leading teams and companies to achieve their full potential.”

James Marcum, Chief Executive Officer of David’s Bridal, said: “David’s Bridal is an iconic brand with a strong legacy of serving generations of brides and helping them navigate their bridal experience.  As an undisputed leader in the bridal industry, David’s Bridal is known for its core tenets of delivering fashion, value, inclusivity, and experience.  I am eager to work alongside the rest of the leadership team to build on the momentum the team has generated, accelerate the Company’s growth, and execute a successful transformation centered around fulfilling the needs of today’s modern bride.  David’s Bridal is in an enviable position of having strong brand awareness and through its web presence and national footprint, David’s represents a true opportunity to become even more relevant to brides today and for generations to come.  I will be keenly focused on continuing to strengthen David’s Bridal to ensure we reach our full potential and re-establish the Company as the top choice for brides, bridal parties and families.”