Online furniture retailer Wayfair has announced the appointment of its new CFO and CAO following the retirement of Michael Fleisher (current Chief Financial Officer).
Kate Gulliver has been appointed to the role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, where she will formally assume the role in November this year. At that point, Fleisher will stay on for a transition period until his retirement on 15 January 2023.
“Michael has been a pivotal part of our leadership team for the past eight years, offering counsel far beyond his role as CFO,” said Niraj Shah, CEO, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder, Wayfair. “He helped us take the company public, stand up a world class corporate function, and navigate a global pandemic, and he has been a tremendous thought partner to me and Steve. As you would expect from Michael, he leaves us in a thoughtful way, with a transparent and long-planned timeline, a robust succession plan, and a strong team with tenured leaders.”
“It’s been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of Wayfair’s growth story and a member of this team,” said Fleisher. “I’m a 100% believer in Wayfair’s future and will proudly remain a long term shareholder. I made a commitment to myself and my family years ago to retire on this timeline and have been working to ensure a smooth transition to my successor. Kate is uniquely qualified to take on this role and to continue to propel Wayfair’s growth story.”
With Michael’s decision to retire, the company will be promoting Kate Gulliver, VP, Chief People Officer, to the role of SVP, CFO and CAO, leading Wayfair’s Finance, Legal, Talent, Real Estate and Corporate Affairs teams.
“Kate, Michael and I have been working side-by-side, literally, for the past eight years, and no one is better positioned to step into this role than Kate,” said Shah. “She is a trusted counselor and has been part of every major decision at the company since becoming head of Talent. She is exceptional at balancing strategic vision, financial discipline, business savvy and people leadership. I’m excited we will work even more closely together in her new capacity.”
“It’s an honor to take on this role and serve Wayfair in a new capacity,” said Gulliver. “Michael has built an exceptional team and I look forward to working even more closely with the many talented individuals across finance, real estate, legal and our other key administrative functions. We have an exciting road ahead as we continue to drive the future of retail across an expansive home category and to deliver value for all of our stakeholders – including our employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders.”
With Gulliver’s move, Paul Toms, VP, Marketplace, has been appointed to lead the Talent team as VP, Chief People Officer. With more than 15 years at Wayfair, Toms is a seasoned business leader who understands the strategic importance of Talent to the company. He will assume the role on 1 June as Gulliver begins to transition roles.
