Quick Facts
- Adrian Butler, former CTO at Foot Locker, joins Victoria’s Secret as EVP and Chief Technology Officer.
- Gerri Martin-Flickinger, ex-EVP and CTO at Starbucks, joins the board of directors effective September 14.
- The moves follow a proxy battle with activist investor BBRC and come as the company reports Q1 2026 net sales of $1.56 billion, up 15% year over year.
Victoria’s Secret & Co. is rebuilding its tech leadership team. The lingerie retailer named Adrian Butler as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer and added Gerri Martin-Flickinger to its board of directors, the company announced this week.
Butler comes from Foot Locker, where he held the same title and led technology strategy across digital, data and analytics, supply chain, and omnichannel operations. His work there supported the retailer’s Lace Up growth plan. Before Foot Locker, he held CTO and CIO roles at Target, Dine Brands Global, and Casey’s General Stores.
Martin-Flickinger’s board seat takes effect September 14. She served as EVP and CTO at Starbucks from 2015 to 2021, where she oversaw the development of Mobile Order and Pay and Deep Brew, the company’s AI-driven personalization platform. Prior to Starbucks, she was SVP and CIO at Adobe, where she led the company’s shift to cloud-based subscription services.
Board Chair Donna James said Martin-Flickinger’s expertise in technology, AI, digital commerce, and consumer retail will support the company’s Path to Potential strategy, which targets younger customers and sharper brand identity. Martin-Flickinger currently chairs the boards of Ellucian and Renaissance Learning and serves on the board of Charles Schwab.
With her addition, the Victoria’s Secret board will include ten directors, nine of whom are independent and eight of whom are women.
The appointments follow a turbulent period in board governance. Activist investor group BBRC International waged a proxy fight earlier this year, urging shareholders to vote against Chair Donna James and executive pay proposals ahead of the June 11 annual meeting. The company alleged a senior BBRC employee visited at least 17 Victoria’s Secret stores in 2024, falsely claiming affiliation with the company to access confidential sales data.
Shareholders ultimately reelected all nine board nominees the company put forward. James was reelected with over 83% of the vote. Martin-Flickinger fills the seat vacated by board director Mariam Naficy, who declined to seek reelection before the annual meeting. The search began in May and was conducted with an outside executive search firm.
The leadership changes arrive as the company posts strong financial results. Net sales rose 15% in Q1 2026 to $1.56 billion, beating guidance. Operating income reached $76 million for the quarter. CEO Hillary Super said the company delivered double-digit sales growth across Victoria’s Secret, PINK, and Beauty, marking its fourth consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales.
The company raised its full-year 2026 outlook to between $7.03 billion and $7.13 billion in net sales. Long-term projections put revenue at $7.6 billion and earnings at $487.1 million by 2029. Since Super took the helm, total shareholder return has reached 141%.
The company trades under the ticker VSXY after switching symbols in June.
