Leadership
Executive Leadership Team
Jay L. Schottenstein
Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Since 1992, Jay has been a visionary leader for American Eagle Outfitters. Together, with his father Jerome Schottenstein, the two forged a path that led to the evolution of AEO from a single brand company, to a multi-brand global business. Jay has been instrumental in the successful growth of American Eagle and the launch of the Aerie brand, and has built a strong foundation for AEO’s leading market position.
Jay returned to AEO as Chief Executive Officer in 2014, a position he previously held from 1992 to 2002. He has served as AEO’s Chairman of the Board continuously since 1992, and he remains one of our largest shareholders. Jay’s expertise across apparel merchandising, operations, retail, real estate, brand development and team management provides valuable leadership and vision for the company.
Jay also serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Schottenstein Stores Corporation. He currently is Chairman of the Board of DSW Inc., a leading footwear and accessories retailer, and previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer from 2005 to 2009.
Jennifer Foyle
President, Executive Creative Director – AE & Aerie
Jen joined AEO in August 2010 and has been an instrumental force in Aerie’s successful expansion, leading growth from $225 million in 2014 to nearly $1.4 billion in annual revenue in 2021. In September 2020, Jen was appointed President, Executive Creative Director – AE & Aerie where she defines the strategic vision for both the American Eagle and Aerie brands. In her role, Jen leads all aspects of Design, Marketing, including Retail Design, and Merchandising. Jen has more than 26 years of experience in the apparel retail industry. In 2014, Jen revolutionized the intimate apparel industry by bringing body positivity and inclusivity to the forefront with the power of #AerieREAL. This movement has been a game-changer for the Aerie business and for millions of women and girls who have been empowered to love their REAL selves inside and out. Throughout her tenure, Jen has assembled and developed a strong bench of talent at all levels and across functions.
In 2022, Jen was named one of the 50 Women in Power by WWD x FN x BEAUTYINC for her passion and leadership in continuing to grow the American Eagle and Aerie brands, and was also recognized as Women in Retail’s Top Woman of the Year. Jen was previously honored by AdWeek with a prestigious Brand Genius award, which recognizes exceptional talent, insight, creativity and bravery in business. Aerie’s commitment to body confidence and empowerment has also been recognized with Glossy’s Best Influencer Campaign in 2018, a Femmy Award in 2017, and the NEDA Inspires Award in 2015, among others. Jen began her career at Bloomingdales and held positions of increasing responsibility at Gap Inc. and J. Crew. Prior to joining Aerie in 2010 she was the President of the global lifestyle brand, Calypso St. Barth.
Marisa Baldwin
Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Marisa joined AEO in September 2021 as Executive Vice President – Chief Human Resources Officer, overseeing all aspects of the associate experience and the company’s vibrant culture. She provides the strategic vision for the human resources team, which includes talent acquisition and retention, learning and development, total rewards, and people operations and analytics. Marisa also provides executive oversight for the AEO Foundation, ESG and IDEA. AEO’s most important asset is its people and Marisa is committed to upholding a community of belonging and purpose where associates are excited to work and grow their careers.
Marisa has more than 25 years of experience in Human Resources and most recently held the position of EVP – CHRO for ascena retail group. Before joining AEO, she served in leadership roles focused on the growth and expansion of Starbucks and building a culture of inclusion at Diageo, North America.
Michael R. Rempell
Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer
Michael joined AEO in 1999 as a consultant to lead the implementation of our first allocation system and he officially joined the company in February 2000 to launch AE Direct. Since then, he has held positions of increasing responsibility, including Chief Information Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer. In Michael’s current role as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, he leads all aspects of Global Supply Chain including production, sourcing, logistics, and distribution. He also oversees Technology, Digital Commerce, Corporate Strategy, Customer Operations, and the AE and Aerie stores organization, as well as the Todd Snyder brand. The depth of Michael’s experience and his dynamic leadership ensure that his teams deliver the product and experiences that allow AEO to remain at the forefront of retail.
The depth of Michael’s experience and his dynamic leadership ensure that his teams deliver the product and experiences that allow AEO to remain at the forefront of retail.
Mike Mathias
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Mike first joined the company more than 20 years ago and has a deep knowledge of AEO’s stores and operations, in both finance and operational areas including e-commerce, store finance, Aerie planning, strategy and business development. In his current role, Mike oversees numerous business areas, including Finance, Merchandise Planning, Legal, Real Estate & Construction, Global Asset Protection, Workforce Management, Internal Audit, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. Mike is a strategic leader with a unique and significant understanding of the company’s industry-leading business. His operational and financial expertise are instrumental in driving AEO’s profitable growth. From 2017 – 2020, Mike served as AEO’s Senior Vice President – Financial Planning & Analysis. From 2016 to 2017, he departed AEO to serve as VP, Financial Planning and Analysis at General Nutrition Centers, Inc. Mike began his career at the May Company.