Knix founder Joanna Griffiths steps down, Nicole Tapscott named president

Joanna Griffiths is stepping down from Knix, the Toronto-based intimates brand she founded in 2013, ending a 14-year run that took the company from digitally native startup to international omnichannel retailer. Chief commercial officer Nicole Tapscott will succeed her as president.

The departure, first reported by The Globe and Mail and later confirmed by Griffiths on social media, comes four years after Swedish hygiene and health group Essity acquired an 80 percent stake in the business in 2022, in a deal that valued Knix at around 400 million dollars.

¨I'm honoured and excited to share that I'll be stepping into the role of President at Knix. There are very few opportunities that feel truly special, and this is one of them," Tapscott announced on her LinkedIn. ¨While I've know Joanna for a long time, over the last two years, I've had the privilege of watching Jo lead up close. She is one of the most thoughtful and impactful leaders I've worked with, and I mean that in the fullest sense, not just what she built, but how many people's lives she actually changed along the way. Mine included. I'm grateful for the trust Joanna Griffiths and Essity has placed in me and excited to lead this next chapter alongside this exceptional team that I love and respect more than I can easily put into words.

Knix built its name on leakproof underwear, pairing product innovation with candid messaging around women's health. The company has since moved well beyond its e-commerce origins, operating stores across major Canadian markets and building a selective wholesale business.

Tapscott inherits a brand in expansion mode. Knix has said it intends to grow its Canadian fleet to more than 30 stores, including a first location in Atlantic Canada, while adding company-operated stores and select retail partners in the United States. In Canada, a wholesale partnership with luxury department store Holt Renfrew signals the brand's push into premium retail environments.

This article was partially prepared and written by AI.