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 $800 million in annual revenue in 2019. In September 2020, Jen was appointed Chief Creative Officer, AEO Inc., and in addition to her responsibilities as Aerie Global Brand President, Jen defines the strategic vision for both the American Eagle and Aerie brands and leads design, marketing 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 2018, Jen was 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. 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.
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. He has held a number of roles with progressive levels of responsibility and oversight. Mike is a strategic leader with a unique and significant understanding of the company’s industry-leading business. His operational and financial expertise will be 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.
Chad Kessler
President- AE Premium Brands
Chad serves as the President – AE Premium Brands. Previously Chad served as the American Eagle Global Brand President and led the evolution and expansion of the brand. Chad drove an updated platform for AE, which strengthened the emotional connection to the brand with pillars that celebrate individuality, youth empowerment, and self-expression. Chad joined AEO in 2014 and during his tenure expanded AE’s product leadership resulting in a commanding market position for the brand, propelled by the growth of AE jeans. Before joining AEO, Chad was Chief Merchandising Officer for Urban Outfitters. Prior, he held various merchandising roles at Abercrombie & Fitch, including a pivotal role in the development of the Hollister brand and eventually rising to EVP – Female Merchandising for all brands. Chad also previously served as SVP of Corporate Merchandising for Coach. Before joining AEO, Chad was Chief Merchandising Officer for Urban Outfitters. Prior, he held various merchandising roles at Abercrombie & Fitch, including a pivotal role in the development of the Hollister brand and eventually rising to EVP – Female Merchandising for all brands. Chad also previously served as SVP of Corporate Merchandising for Coach.
Andrew McLean
Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer
In his role as Chief Commercial Officer, Andrew oversees the AE and Aerie store teams and leads global expansion initiatives, including both company-owned and licensee stores across 25 countries. In addition, Andrew has direct responsibility for real estate, construction, retail operations, loss prevention, global brand delivery, international strategy and customer experience. As AEO strengthens the connection with its customers and broadens its global reach, he provides the expertise essential to grow all the AEO brands.
Andrew’s prior retail experience includes responsibility at a number of successful retailers, including Gap Inc., Liz Claiborne Inc. and URBN Urban Outfitters Inc.
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 Operating Officer, he leads all aspects of Supply Chain including production, sourcing, logistics, and distribution. He also oversees Technology, Digital Commerce, and Corporate Strategy.
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.
Stacy Siegal
Executive Vice President, General Counsel
Stacy has more than 20 years of experience in the retail industry managing human resources, legal and business administration. Stacy joined AEO in 2016, and in her role as Executive Vice President – General Counsel, has responsibility for leading the legal function and providing strategic advice and guidance on all of the company’s legal matters, including corporate governance and compliance, securities regulation, mergers and acquisitions, commercial support, data security and privacy, and litigation management. Stacy also serves as Chair of the AEO Foundation Board, and helps lead our philanthropic efforts as well as corporate communication and ESG initiatives. Stacy’s commitment to upholding AEO’s values and culture ensures that the company maintains a high degree of optimism and integrity in all of its operations.
Before joining AEO, Stacy was the Chief Legal and Administrative Officer for rue21. Prior, she served as Corporate Counsel for General Nutrition Companies, Inc.