Former Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia CEO Lisa Gersh has been tapped as the new CEO of goop, a lifestyle and ecommerce company founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008.
In a statement, Paltrow described Gersh as a "visionary leader with unparalleled creativity and savvy," adding, "She's the perfect person to build on the momentum we have already created at goop, and to diversify our opportunities to bring goop’s positive energy directly to consumers in what they read, what they try, what they buy and how they live."
The goop site gained awareness and notoriety this past spring when Paltrow and husband Chris Martin announced via blog post that they were going to have a "conscious uncoupling." Reports noted that the abrupt departure of British entrepreneur Seb Bishop, the previous CEO, was tied to disagreements over goop's future direction, with Paltrow wanting to use it for personal announcements and Bishop wanting to keep the two separate. Goop representatives at the time denied that was the cause. But, dissenters ares speaking up about the celebrity-forward strategy, including Martha Stewart who told Net-A-Porter's Porter magazine that Paltrow should stick to acting—in not-so-nice terms.
Gersh plans to continue to build the brand via initiatives such as expanding its relationship with top celebrity designers, launching a fashion label and introducing pop-up stores and live events.
"Gwyneth Paltrow and her team took an inspired idea and turned it into a multi-platform lifestyle brand with a large and devoted audience," said Gersh. "As a fan since its launch, I've admired the inimitable voice and style Gwyneth has infused into goop, and the business she’s built. … We'll continue to invest in the company, expand globally and launch new product lines and partnerships."
