The RealReal Names Ajay Gopal as its Chief Financial Officer and Appoints Karen Katz as Chairperson of its Board of Directors
22 February 2024 - 12:00AM
The RealReal (Nasdaq: REAL)—the world’s largest online
marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods—today announced
that it has hired Ajay Gopal as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO),
effective March 18, 2024, and that it has appointed its current
board member Karen Katz as Chairperson of its Board of Directors
(Board), effective February 20, 2024.
“I’m thrilled to
welcome Ajay to The RealReal,” said John Koryl, The RealReal’s
Chief Executive Officer. “Not only does Ajay have robust experience
in high-growth and transformative businesses, but his diverse
background and experience across eCommerce and two-sided
marketplaces is invaluable as The RealReal continues its drive
toward profitability.”
Mr. Gopal currently
serves as CFO of Outside Interactive and has extensive experience
helming tech-enabled consumer companies, having previously served
as CFO at Good Eggs, Helix and StubHub. He has also held senior
leadership positions in finance at eBay and GE Healthcare. Mr.
Gopal has proven his strategic ability to leverage finance
organizations to help drive profitable growth. At StubHub, he led
finance through a transformative time when the business doubled in
size to exceed $1B in global revenues and expanded its presence
from four to over 45 countries.
"Over the past few
years, resale has gained significant momentum and attention from
consumers as well as investors," said Mr. Gopal. "I am drawn to The
RealReal’s best-in-class experience, and I’m excited to be
partnering with this exceptional team to continue to execute on its
strategy and create long-term value for our stockholders."
Mr. Gopal holds a
Master of Management Studies degree from the Birla Institute of
Technology and Science.
On the appointment of
Ms. Katz as Chairperson of the board, Mr. Koryl continued, “Karen
has made immeasurable contributions to The RealReal since she
joined the Board in 2021. Her industry knowledge, strategy
expertise and proven track record is unmatched. This appointment
comes at a critical time for the company as we focus on profitable
growth, and I am confident she will help take The RealReal to new
heights.”
With a career spanning decades in luxury retail,
Ms. Katz has established herself as a visionary leader. As the
former CEO of Neiman Marcus Group, Ms. Katz leveraged Neiman
Marcus’ brick-and-mortar presence – including Neiman Marcus,
Bergdorf Goodman and Last Call – to launch its omnichannel
strategy, integrating customers’ online and in-store experiences
through technology and personalization. She also led the 2014
acquisition of luxury e-commerce retailer, Mytheresa, scaling its
e-commerce offerings to support Neiman Marcus’ omnichannel
strategy.
"We are thrilled to name Karen as Chairperson of
the Board," said Rob Krolik, who served as The RealReal’s Lead
Independent Director from January 2019 until Ms. Katz’s appointment
as Chairperson. "Her vast experience and industry leadership is
unparalleled. It has been an honor to serve on the Board with
Karen, and I look forward to continue working with her as she
propels The RealReal into this next phase of the business.”
Ms. Katz currently serves on the Board of
Directors at Under Armour, Humana, and Rokt.
About The RealReal Inc.The RealReal is the
world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury
goods, with more than 34 million members. With a rigorous
authentication process overseen by experts, The RealReal provides a
safe and reliable platform for consumers to buy and sell their
luxury items. We have hundreds of in-house gemologists, horologists
and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items each day.
As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by thousands
of brands across numerous categories—including women’s and men’s
fashion, fine jewelry and watches, art and home—in support of the
circular economy. We make selling effortless with free virtual
appointments, in-home pickup, drop-off and direct shipping. We do
all of the work for consignors, including authenticating, using AI
and machine learning to determine optimal pricing, photographing
and listing their items, as well as handling shipping and customer
service.
Investor Relations Contact:Caitlin
Howecaitlin.howe@therealreal.com
Press Contact:Laura
HogyaLaura.hogya@therealreal.com
RealReal (NASDAQ:REAL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
RealReal (NASDAQ:REAL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024