A.K.A. Brands appoints Ciarán Long chief financial officer

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Apr 9, 2021

A.K.A. Brands, the direct-to-consumer fashion platform specialized in digitally native brands,  announced on Thursday the appointment of Ciarán Long as chief financial officer.

Effective immediately, the seasoned financial executive will report directly to chief executive officer Jill Ramsey.

“I am excited to welcome Ciarán as our new chief financial officer. His unique and comprehensive understanding of the retail industry serves as a strong complement to our team of veteran executives,” said Ramsey.

“Throughout his career, Ciarán has demonstrated a proven track record in driving growth in high performance businesses, and this experience will play a pivotal role in supporting our ongoing efforts to identify significant opportunities with synergistic brands, and position A.K.A. for sustainable, long-term growth.”

Long joins A.K.A. with over 20 years of experience. Most recently, he served as CFO e-commerce & VP of finance for membership, marketing and supply chain at SamsClub. Long also held several leadership positions with Walmart’s eCommerce division, as well as previously served as chief executive officer and co-founder of CleanGrow, a company that developed new sensor technology to measure key water quality parameters. Prior to that, Long held several leadership positions at CBS Interactive/CNET Networks, Inc. including VP, financial planning & analysis, VP of financial, controller and director of revenue. 

“I am thrilled to be joining A.K.A. I believe that a.k.a. has a unique platform in which to drive accelerated growth in digitally native direct-to-consumer brands,” said Long. “I look forward to drawing from my experience to help achieve the growth objectives of existing brands as well as to evaluate and integrate potential new brands as we expand the portfolio.”

Founded in California in 2018, A.K.A.’s portfolio includes Princess Polly, Petal & Pup and Rebdolls, and is currently working to acquire more digital fashion brands with strong growth potential, a solid track record and the capacity to expand into new markets, thanks to the backing of investment firm Summit Partners. 

Most recently, A.K.A. acquired Brisbane-based multi brand streetwear retailer Culture Kings.