Footware company names chief product officer, hires U.S. wholesale leader

Edison-based footware company Aerosoles has promoted one executive and brought back another one, it announced Thursday.First, the company named Sandy Coviello to the new position of chief product officer. Coviello had led the company’s U.S. wholesale and First Cost business units. In this new role, Coviello will lead design and technology innovation, product development and merchandising across all of the company’s business units, it said.

Then, Aerosoles added Alena Margolis to replace Coviello as senior vice president and general manager of U.S. wholesale and First Cost. Margolis, who had been with Aerosales in senior sales and planning roles earlier in her career, was vice president of sales for Anne Klein.

“Sandy and Alena bring strong industry and company knowledge into their new roles,” CEO R. Shawn Neville said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to working closely with both of them and the rest of the organization to continue to evolve the brand and our products to be the leading performance fashion brand in the world, empowering women to feel smarter, sexier, confident and inspired every occasion of their lives.”

Coviello has been with Aerosoles for more than 18 years, working in product, sales, merchandising and general management.

“I am very passionate about my new role creating products our customers love and that look and feel great,” she said in a statement. “We have been focused on accelerating both our fashion relevance and performance technologies, which improve comfort, fit, support and energy return to help consumers live better and look great.”

Margolis, who has more than 20 years of industry experience, has worked for May Company, QVC and Liz Claiborne, in addition to Anne Klein and Aerosoles.

“I am fortunate to be rejoining Aerosoles with its rich history and even more compelling future with the brand’s new vision and mission,” she said in a statement. “I have always loved Aerosoles and look forward to working with the organization and our retail and dot-com partners to build an even stronger future together.”

Both Coviello and Margolis will start in their new roles immediately, the company said.