American fashion company J.Crew Group announced on Thursday the appointment of Gena Smith to the role of chief human resources officer.

Based in the company’s New York headquarters, Smith will oversee all aspects of J.Crew Group’s human resources function, including talent acquisition, employee engagement, inclusion and belonging, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness. She will report to Libby Wadle, chief executive officer of J.Crew Group.

A human resources veteran, Smith boasts some two decades of experience across the fashion and retail industries. She joins J.Crew from LVMH North America, where she served as chief human resources officer, and prior to that held several senior leadership roles, including senior vice president of human resources and head of global executive and creative recruitment.

Before LVMH, the executive served as global managing director at Karen Harvey Consulting Group, after serving in leadership roles at Russell Reynolds Associates and Ray Berndtson.

She currently serves on the board of governors for the Fashion Scholarship Fund and Parsons School of Design, and is a member of the board of directors for Gabriela Hearst. 

“The strength of our people and the value they bring to our customers and stakeholders are fundamental to our success,” said Wadle.

“I am delighted to welcome Gena to our team. She is a dynamic leader with deep expertise in aligning people strategies with business goals in creative-led organizations. Her proven ability to build high-performing teams and foster inclusive, creative cultures will be a powerful asset as we continue to grow J.Crew Group.”

J.Crew Group’s portfolio of American lifestyle brands includes J.Crew, J.Crew Factory and Madewell. Today, the company operates 117 J.Crew retail stores, 158 Madewell stores, and 375 J.Crew Factory stores across the United States, in addition to its repectitve online stores.