Overstock.com Names 3 New Executives

October 23, 2018  by Laurie Northington in Executive Changes, Industry   

Catherine Borda has been appointed to the newly created position of chief customer officer, Chris Donnelly is chief of staff to the president, and former Overstock.com co-president Dave Nielsen has returned to the company in the role of chief sourcing and operations officer.

“In recent communications with our shareholders I have mentioned that our shift of financial capital into blockchain (both into Medici in general and, especially, tZERO) has been matched by a shift of some of our most proven human capital as well. This has created a wonderful opportunity for growth for some of our most talented junior leaders,” said Patrick M. Byrne, CEO and founder.  

“However, I also took it as an opportunity to reach out and recruit three tremendously strong players to take three out of seven key roles on our a newly-reorganized retail executive team, making it, I believe, the strongest executive team we have had in the 19-year history of Overstock,” Byrne added.

Catherine Borda – Chief Customer Officer

As chief customer officer, Borda is responsible for all customer-facing aspects of the retail experience from inspiration to post-delivery needs. She oversees the company’s Customer Care, Consumer Insights, Brand Strategy, Club O Loyalty program, and CRM teams, as well as any other customer-facing technology, strategy, product, or experiences.

Prior to joining Overstock, Borda spent six years at AT&T leading various customer-focused leadership positions launching AT&T’s loyalty program, leading millennial marketing, proactive retention, and culminating with her role as the assistant vice president of audience strategy and planning.

From 2008 to 2012, Borda held various roles at Georgia-Pacific LLC ultimately leading the company’s flagship $1B+ brand where she led brand strategy, marketing, advertising, promotional development activities, innovation, consumer insights and public relations efforts. She began her marketing career at PepsiCo where she led cross-functional and agency teams in portfolio alignment.

Borda received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Rutgers University and a Master of Business Administration from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. She is a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow.

Chris Donnelly – Chief of Staff to the President 

Donnelly has spent his career innovating at the intersection of product and strategy for both Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. He brings over 25 years of experience to his position, where he works to reinforce Overstock’s brand identity and customer journey. Prior to joining the company, Donnelly built a portfolio of companies that benefitted from both his investment and advisory capabilities.

From 2006 to 2015, Donnelly was chief strategy officer and chief product officer for Oakley where he had P&L responsibility for the $1.9 Billion optics, apparel, and accessories company. Donnelly additionally was Nike’s director of mergers and acquisitions, where he was instrumental in the acquisition of brands such as Converse, Hurley, Cole Hahn and Bauer, which represent more than $5 Billion of Nike's annual revenues. He also was a manager at Bain & Company where he led teams in the private equity, technology, and consumer goods sectors for eight years. He has also founded and sold three start-ups focusing on online consumer data management, innovation consulting, and technology.

Donnelly received an undergraduate degree in Thermodynamics Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.           

Dave Nielsen – Chief Sourcing and Operations Officer 

Nielsen is responsible for overseeing the sourcing, merchandising, partner care, and supply chain teams for the global online home goods leader. He previously spent six years with Overstock, rising to the position of co-president and leading the company’s marketing, merchandising, and supply chain operations. He left Overstock to assume the role of CEO at Global Access, a leading global provider of logistics technology and cross border expertise for brands looking to provide a consistent and trusted shopping experience to both domestic and international customers.

Nielsen also held several leadership positions with Payless ShoeSource, Inc., eventually rising to the role of vice president of merchandise allocation, where he was responsible for the assortment planning and allocation of merchandise across 4,500 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, he served as president and CEO of Old Town Imports, LLC, where he created a product development, sourcing and omni-channel supply chain organization that sourced product to clients such as Costco, Target, and regional restaurant and catering companies.

Nielsen received his bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing from Brigham Young University.