Levi Strauss names John Vandemore CFO for Nov. 1, 2026
The $4,000,000 sign-on cash incentive is split between the November 1, 2026 effective date and its six-month anniversary, alongside staged equity awards.
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Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) appointed John Vandemore as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective November 1, 2026; his employment is expected to begin that day. He will receive an annual base salary of $1,350,000 and an initial annual incentive target of 110% of base salary. Beginning in 2027, annual equity grants are expected to have an aggregate target grant-date fair value of $4,250,000.
His one-time sign-on award includes a $4,000,000 cash incentive and RSU and SAR grants valued at $5,500,000 each. The sign-on award is subject to continued employment; each equity grant vests 50% on its first anniversary and 25% on each of the next two anniversaries. Harmit Singh will remain executive vice president and chief financial and growth officer until Vandemore joins, then serve as a special advisor through November 30, 2026.
Filing Explained
The sign-on cash incentive may be subject to repayment or return in specified circumstances, and if Vandemore is terminated without cause, it vests and is paid in full, while a termination qualifying for severance allows the sign-on equity to continue vesting, with the offer letter and award agreements to be filed in the annual report for the year ending
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
restricted stock units financial
performance-based RSUs financial
stock appreciation rights financial
ratable vesting financial
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
_________________
FORM
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CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 5.02 | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
On September 30, 2026, Levi Strauss & Co. (the “Company”) announced the appointment of John Vandemore as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, effective November 1, 2026 (the “Effective Date”).
Mr. Vandemore, 53, most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Skechers U.S.A., Inc., a global casual footwear company, beginning in November 2017. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President, Divisional Chief Financial Officer of Mattel, a global toy and entertainment company, from September 2015 until October 2017. Prior to that, he served in various roles at International Game Technology, The Walt Disney Company, AlixPartners, Goldman Sachs and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Vandemore is a member of the board of directors of Inspired Entertainment, Inc. Mr. Vandemore earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Mr. Vandemore’s employment is expected to commence on the Effective Date and may be terminated at-will by either party, with or without notice. Mr. Vandemore will receive a base salary of $1,350,000 per year, participate in the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan with an initial target bonus of 110% of his base salary, and will be eligible to participate in the benefit and perquisite programs (including relocation policy) available to Company executives. He will be eligible to receive annual equity grants beginning in 2027, which grants are expected to have an aggregate target grant date fair value of $4,250,000 and consist of (a) restricted stock units (“RSUs”) subject to four-year ratable vesting with a value of $1,062,500, (b) performance-based RSUs subject to successful achievement of Company three-year overlapping performance goals following approval by the Board of Directors of the Company of results against the goals with a target value of $2,125,000 and (c) stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) subject to a four-year ratable vesting with a value of $1,062,500. Mr. Vandemore will also receive a one-time sign-on award (the “Sign-On Award”) designed to replace the cash incentive and equity awards that Mr. Vandemore forfeited from his prior employer, comprised of (a) a cash incentive of $4,000,000 that pays 50% on the Effective Date and 50% on the six-month anniversary of the Effective Date (the “Sign-On Cash Incentive”), (b) a RSU grant with a value of $5,500,000 that vests 50% on the first anniversary of grant and 25% on each of the second and third anniversaries of grant (the “Sign-On RSU Award”), and (c) a SAR grant with a value of $5,500,000 that vests 50% on the first anniversary of grant and 25% on each of the second and third anniversaries of grant (the “Sign-On SAR Award,” and together with the Sign-On RSU Award, the “Sign-On Equity Award”). Vesting and payment of the Sign-On Award is subject to his continued employment, and to an obligation to repay or return all or part of the Sign-On Cash Incentive in certain circumstances including certain separations from service. In the event that Mr. Vandemore experiences a termination of employment without cause, the Sign-On Cash Incentive will vest and be paid in full, and in the event Mr. Vandemore experiences a termination of employment that would entitle him to severance under the Senior Executive Severance Plan, the Sign-On Equity Award will continue to vest as if he had remained employed through the final vesting date. Any equity grants will be granted under the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) and subject to the terms of the 2019 Plan, the applicable award agreements and the Company’s Senior Executive Severance Plan. Mr. Vandemore will be generally entitled to receive the benefits provided by the Company’s Senior Executive Severance Plan.
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to Mr. Vandemore’s offer letter and the award agreements applicable to Mr. Vandemore’s Sign-On Award, copies of which will be filed with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending November 29, 2026, and the 2019 Plan, current forms of award agreements and the Senior Executive Severance Plan, which have previously been filed as exhibits to the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Vandemore and any other persons pursuant to which he was appointed as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. There is no family relationship between Mr. Vandemore and any director, executive officer, or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer of the Company. The Company has not entered into any transactions with Mr. Vandemore that would require disclosure pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure
The Company issued the release attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 with respect to the matters set forth in Item 5.02 above. The information in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing made under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as otherwise expressly stated in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statement and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
| 99.1 | Press release announcing the appointment of John Vandemore as Levi’s Chief Financial Officer. |
| 104 | The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in Inline XBRL. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| LEVI STRAUSS & CO. | |||
| DATE: | September 30, 2026 | By: | /s/ David Jedrzejek |
| Name: | David Jedrzejek | ||
| Title: | Senior Vice President and General Counsel |
Levi Strauss & Co. 8-K
Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Investor Contact: | Aida Orphan | Media Contact: | Mark Cazares |
| Levi Strauss & Co. | Levi Strauss & Co. | ||
| (415) 501-6194 | (415) 501-7777 | ||
| Investor-Relations@levi.com | NewsMediaRequests@levi.com |
Levi Strauss & Co. Appoints John Vandemore as Chief Financial Officer
Brings More Than 25 Years of Strong Financial Leadership Experience in Consumer-Facing Industries
SAN FRANCISCO – September 30, 2026 – Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) (NYSE: LEVI) today announced the appointment of John Vandemore as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective November 1, 2026.
“We are thrilled to welcome John at a pivotal moment for our company,” said Michelle Gass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “We are building a more direct-to-consumer business, unlocking the full potential of the Levi’s® brand and transforming LS&Co. into the world’s leading denim lifestyle retailer. John’s deep financial, operational and consumer experience, combined with his proven ability to help global brands scale and grow profitably, makes him the ideal partner to help us realize our ambition of becoming a $10 billion company.”
Vandemore’s experience includes more than 25 years of finance leadership experience across global consumer, retail and entertainment businesses. He joins the company from Skechers U.S.A., Inc., where he has served as Chief Financial Officer for the past nine years and led Skechers’ global financial organization while also providing oversight of the company’s operations functions. With Vandemore as CFO, Skechers grew to become the world’s third-largest footwear brand, with a presence in over 180 countries, operating across both wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels, including more than 5,000 retail stores globally. During this time, Skechers nearly tripled revenues to over $9 billion while driving strong margin expansion.
“LS&Co. is an iconic company with an unmatched heritage, a globally renowned brand and a clear strategy that is delivering strong momentum and results,” Vandemore said. “I have long admired the Levi’s® brand and am excited to join Michelle and the team and contribute to strengthening consumer connections, accelerating profitable growth and creating long-term value for all stakeholders.”
In April 2026, the company announced Executive Vice President and Chief Financial & Growth Officer (CFGO) Harmit Singh’s intent to retire from the company after a planned transition period. Singh will remain in his current role as CFGO until Vandemore joins LS&Co. and then will remain a Special Advisor to the company through November 30, 2026, to ensure a smooth transition.
About John Vandemore
John Vandemore is a seasoned consumer industry leader with more than 25 years of finance and operational experience. Most recently, Vandemore served as Chief Financial Officer of Skechers U.S.A., Inc. for the last nine years, overseeing the global finance function including accounting, data and analytics, financial planning, investor relations, tax and treasury. He also provided oversight to the company’s supply chain, digital and IT functions. Prior to joining Skechers, Vandemore served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Global Brands and Commercial Sales, of Mattel, Inc. He also previously served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of International Game Technology and in finance and operational leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, including as Chief Financial Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering. Earlier in his career, Vandemore served in a variety of finance roles at AlixPartners, LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. and Deloitte & Touche LLP. John began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Vandemore holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame.
About Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's®, Levi Strauss Signature™ and Beyond Yoga® brands. Its products are sold in approximately 120 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 3,300 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co.'s reported 2025 net revenues were $6.3 billion. For more information, go to http://levistrauss.com, and for financial news and announcements go to http://investors.levistrauss.com.