Good Fit

As expected, Levi Strauss & Co. (San Francisco) has named its new chief operating officer, John Anderson, to succeed Philip Marineau as ceo at the end of the year. Anderson will also take Marineau’s seat on the Levi’s board seat later this year.

Five members of Levi’s 14-member board, including three from the founding family, have stepped down as the company sought a higher proportion of independent directors.

Anderson, formerly president of the company’s Asia-Pacific division, was promoted to coo earlier this month when Marineau announced his end-of-the-year retirement. At the time, the company said the board would meet within the next two weeks to discuss Marineau’s replacement. It was suggested that Anderson, under whom the Asia Pacific team has delivered five consecutive years of double-digit revenue growth, would be the likely successor.