JDK's Gregory Has Merrell on Mind

As Jager Di Paola Kemp’s new director of brand strategy, Bill Gregory will initially focus on the $2 million Merrell Footwear account in an effort “to help them build a world-class brand,” he said.

“I want to hit one out of the park for Merrell,” said Gregory, a graduate of Yale University’s Divinity School. Merrell, one of JDK’s largest accounts, is “extremely committed to brand strategy,” said David Kemp, marketing director at the Burlington, Vt., shop.

Gregory, 43, joined JDK in the new post earlier this month after running his own consultancy, Gregory Brand Planning in Arlington, Mass.,