Victoria’s Secret Head of Stores Is Out, With 50 More Laid Off at Headquarters

According to CNBC, Holt had been with Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands for 16 years. In her most recent role as head of stores, she oversaw its real estate operations. A replacement for Holt has not yet been named. In the interim, Becky Kritek-Behringer, who serves as the company’s senior vice president of store operations, will take on some of Holt’s duties.

The 50 Columbus-based employees, who were in junior- and senior-level roles, were laid off Wednesday and Thursday of this week, according to CNBC.

“We’re on the all-important journey to turn around the Victoria’s Secret business,” an L Brands spokesperson told the outlet. “As we’ve said, everything is on the table, including having the right talent in the right places. Today, we announced new leadership positions and organizational changes that help us simplify the business which allows us to be more agile. We believe these efficiencies are crucial to the evolution of our brand.”

Holt is the latest major departure for Victoria’s Secret over the past year. Most notably, the brand’s CMO of more than three decades—and the most vocal cheerleader of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show—Ed Razek announced his retirement this summer. Last November, Victoria’s Secret CEO Jan Singer left the company. She was replaced by Tory Burch veteran John Mehas.

The brand has been plagued with issues in recent years. Backlash against its annual fashion show has been growing, to the point where this year it’s unclear if the signature event will occur at all. Victoria’s Secret has already said it won’t be broadcast on network television as in previous years.

Now, however, there has been acknowledgment from the brand that it’s listening. At the Victoria’s Secret investors day last month, Mehas said: “There’s a big belief in the company that we need to evolve.” Just this week, the company announced that for the first time, Victoria’s Secret will run a campaign led by a plus-size model, Ali Tate Cutler.

Victoria’s Secret did not immediately respond to Adweek’s request for comment.