Wet Seal Names New Ceo

Wet Seal LLC (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) has announced that it has appointed Melanie B. Cox as the retailer’s ceo, effective immediately. Previously, Cox was one of the company’s board members.

Cox succeeds Ed Thomas, the company’s previous ceo. Thomas came on board with the retailer last year as it recovered from Chapter 11 bankruptcy to revitalize the brand by focusing on older customers between ages 18 and 24, reports Women’s Wear Daily.

Now that those updates are in place, Thomas said, “I decided it’s the right time for me to step back after a grueling process and evaluate other opportunities.”

Cox previously worked as a merchant and head of product development for Wet Seal and has also worked for other retailers including Urban Outfitters (Philadelphia) and Gymboree Corp. (San Francisco).