To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to recommend Jake Arnold. I spent twenty years in the apparel industry and for the past four years I’ve been Director of Color Material Finish for Amazon consumer electronic devices. I worked with Jake at Gap Inc. from 2005 to 2007 and at The North Face from 2008 to 2015. Jake is one of the most well-rounded and talented designers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He’s able to balance the creative and strategic needs of an organization and his empathetic design approach garners trust with cross-functional partners.
Our time at The North Face was during a period of strong growth and success for the brand. Not only did Jake transition from designing sportswear to the most technical outerwear programs but he was also a change agent for design. Jake implemented templates and processes to enable other designers to work more efficiently and was the design lead for the brand Product Lifecycle Management implementation. He led workshops and training sessions which enabled designers to adopt the enterprise tool. Jake understood that new strategies, processes, and tools were needed to enable the growth of the brand and unlock creativity in the design teams.
Jake is also a connector of people which enhances cross-functional collaboration. His active listening skills and empathetic style makes people want to work with him. Jake understands the different perspectives of his cross-functional partners and drives consensus between parties such as sourcing and merchandising. His solution-oriented approach and ability to frame the strategic vision influences teams to work better together. I’ve never seen a designer so well loved by pattern makers, merchandisers, material developers, sourcing directors, etc.
As a designer Jake has impeccable taste and clearly understands what the customer desires. He studies the brand history, future vision, and customer profile to create a foundation for pushing new ideas. He’s able to bring unexpected influences into his designs and Jake’s comfort with systems and strategies enables the creation of exciting collections. He led the creative direction for the outerwear category at The North Face and known for his inspiring design presentations. The VP of Global Product and VP of Global Creative would regularly pick Jake to work on special brand projects and presentations.
I’m confident without reservation that Jake would be a great fit for creative leadership. As a tirelessly creative and passionate individual, he would be a great addition for your brand.
Sincerely,
Bernard Morris
Director CMF