Gildan announces executive financial leadership changes
Chuck Ward is appointed EVP/COO, Rhodri Harries will retire in 2026 & Luca Barile will succeed EVP/CFO.
Gildan Activewear announced the following executive leadership nominations and a CFO transition as part of a multi-year succession planning process, which is intended to ensure strong continuity as the company drives forward with the Gildan Sustainable Growth Strategy:
Chuck Ward, currently president, sales, marketing, and distribution, has been appointed to the newly created role of executive vice president, chief operating officer (EVP/COO) effective March 1, and will continue to report to Glenn J. Chamandy, president and CEO.
Ward joined Gildan in 2011 through the acquisition of GoldToe Moretz, where he served as EVP and chief financial officer and initially led the integration of GoldToe into Gildan. Over the years, he has held several senior roles at Gildan, including leading its yarn-spinning operations, overseeing supply chain planning, running sales, marketing, and distribution organization while gaining strong experience in manufacturing.
Separately, and after almost 10 years in the EVP, chief financial and administrative officer role, Rhodri (Rhod) J. Harries, has informed the board of his intention to retire on Jan. 1, 2026. The company announced that Luca Barile, currently CFO, sales, marketing, and distribution, will succeed Harries, as EVP, chief financial officer, assuming responsibilities on March 1. To facilitate a smooth transition over a full 10 months, Harries will retain his chief administrator officer role until his retirement.
Barile began his career as a senior auditor at a large accounting firm in 2008 before joining Gildan in 2012. At Gildan, he has held various roles in financial planning and analysis, internal audit, and enterprise risk management, before being promoted to his current role in 2023 as CFO for sales, marketing, and distribution.
“I would like to express my deep appreciation to Rhod who has guided our financial performance through many key phases for our company. Since 2015, he has been an invaluable partner to me, his executive peers, and his teams. He has safeguarded the company’s solid financial position through disciplined capital allocation, contributing to the achievement of our long-term financial objectives and setting the stage for the future. Although we will still be working together through 2025, I wish him well in retirement next year and want to thank him for his significant contribution to our success,” said Chamandy.
He added, “I am very pleased to welcome Chuck and Luca into their new roles, appointments that are a testament to our internal bench strength and the effectiveness of our multi-year succession planning efforts. They are both outstanding leaders who are well positioned to step into their roles as we continue to achieve our financial goals, pursue the next exciting stage in Gildan’s growth strategy, and drive enhanced long-term value for our stakeholders”.
