Personalities, Generations Clash In Story Of Ousted American Eagle CEO

The sudden ouster of American Eagle’s CEO earlier this year was the result of an “old boys’ club” board eager to see its retail brand re-energized, but unwilling to embrace proposed changes, including new executives, to bring that about, Buzzfeed says in an exclusive report. The tug-of-war between Robert Hanson, hired in 2012 as CEO after leading Levi Strauss for two decades, and Executive Creative Director and Board member Roger Markfield is a lesson in binaries: Young start-up versus old guard (Hanson was 49 at the time, Markfield is 72); retail stores versus mobile and online shopping; even geographic opposites, with some board members based in Pittsburgh grumbling over Hanson’s decision to open a Silicon Valley office to expand the brand’s e-shopping platform. Though Hanson brought about a quick boost in earnings, it was followed by an uneven 2013, and back-room politics led to his sudden dismissal early this year.