HanesBrands Appoints Stephen B. Bratspies as Chief Executive Officer

North Carolina-based HanesBrands announces that its board of directors appoints Stephen B. Bratspies as chief executive officer and board member, effective Aug. 3, 2020. Bratspies will succeed Gerald W. Evans Jr., who previously announced his plans to retire after a 37-year career at HanesBrands.

Bratspies, 52, brings 25+ years of retail, digital, and consumer product leadership experience to Hanes. Most recently, he served as the chief merchandising officer at Walmart Inc., where he managed $330 billion in sales, drove a merchandising transformation initiative, and accelerated comp-store sales and market share gains.

His prior leadership positions at Walmart included executive vice president of general merchandise, executive vice president of food, and senior vice president of marketing. According to Hanes, Bratspies offers strong and consistent results and a passion for people. Earlier in his career, he served as the chief marketing officer for Specialty Brands, held various management positions at PepsiCo Inc.’s Frito-Lay North America division, and was a management consultant with A.T. Kearney.

“After a comprehensive search, we are excited to appoint Steve as the next CEO of Hanes,” says Ronald L. Nelson, the company’s chairman of the board. “We are confident that Steve is the ideal CEO to lead Hanes forward as we focus on our strong portfolio of consumer brands across the globe, rapid online growth, and strong cash flow model. We look forward to an exciting new chapter for Hanes under Steve’s leadership and oversight.”

Bratspies, who will relocate to Winston-Salem, adds, “I am thrilled to be joining the HanesBrands team, the clear global leader in everyday apparel basics with great iconic brands like Hanes and Champion. It is an honor to assume the role of CEO and join this highly respected global team of 63,000 strong. Together, we will continue to accomplish great things and chart a future of growth and value creation for all of our constituencies.”

Gerald Evans, 61, will oversee the leadership transition until August and remain as an advisor to the company through 2021.

“We extend our gratitude to Gerald for his many contributions to the company’s brand building, global supply chain diversification, and international commercial expansion over the last 37 years, and most recently for his excellent leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nelson notes. “Gerald has always put the best interests of Hanes and its employees first, and we appreciate his support of Steve and the management team through the transition period. We also wish him well in his retirement.”

For more information, visit www.hanes.com/corporate.