Executive Management

Lisa Harper has served as our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since May 2022, and as a member of Torrid’s board of directors and its predecessor since 2008. From July 2021 until May 2022, Ms. Harper served as Executive Chairperson of Belk, a privately-owned department store chain. Prior to that, Ms. Harper served as CEO of Belk from July 2016 through July 2021. Ms. Harper previously served as CEO of Torrid, its predecessor, and Hot Topic, from March 2011 until June 2016. From February 2001 to July 2006, she served in various capacities with The Gymboree Corporation, a publicly traded corporation operating a chain of specialty retail stores for children and women. Her roles at Gymboree included Chairman of the board of directors, from June 2002 to July 2006, Chief Creative Officer, from January 2006 to July 2006, Vice Chairman of the board of directors, from February 2001 to June 2002, and CEO, from February 2001 to January 2006. Ms. Harper has also held merchandising and design positions with several other clothing retailers, including Limited Too, Esprit, GapKids, Mervyn’s and Levi Strauss. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to her service on our board of directors, Ms. Harper currently serves as a member of the board of directors of each of Belk and Hot Topic.

Vivian Alhorn has served as our Chief Marketing Officer since March 2023. Ms. Alhorn served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer from May 2022 to March 2023. Prior to that, she served as our Vice President, Digital Experience from August 2021 to May 2022. Ms. Alhorn previously served as Vice President, Digital at Gap Inc., Banana Republic Division from October 2016 to August 2020. From September 2015 to August 2016, she served as Vice President, eCommerce at Pottery Barn. Ms. Alhorn was previously employed at Sephora where she served as Vice President, Merchandising and Web Production from August 2014 to August 2015. Prior to that, she served in various leadership roles in merchandising and design at GAP Inc. for Banana Republic and Old Navy. Ms. Alhorn has spent a total of over 20 years at GAP Inc. across various brands and leadership roles within eCommerce, merchandising, design, and sourcing. Ms. Alhorn attended Bucknell University.

Bridgett Zeterberg has served as our Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Legal Officer since October 2022. Ms. Zeterberg previously served as Torrid’s Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer from July 2022 to October 2022. Prior to that, she held the position of Executive Vice President Human Resources, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Tuesday Morning, and she previously served in other roles with Tuesday Morning commencing in July 2016. Additionally, Ms. Zeterberg has held leadership positions across other companies, including Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Zale Corporation, and Senior Vice President, General Counsel of Total Wine & More. She also served in roles for the hospitality company Accor North America including Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources for the Motel 6 Division.

Paula Dempsey was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of our Company, effective December 4, 2023. Prior to her current position, Ms. Dempsey served as the Senior Vice President and Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company. She originally joined Torrid in January 2023 as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations. Before her tenure at Torrid, Ms. Dempsey made significant contributions at Mattress Firm, Inc., first as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis from December 2020 to January 2022, and then as Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance until December 2022.

Ms. Dempsey also held various roles at PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT), serving as Vice President of Finance from May 2019 to September 2019, followed by a role as Vice President of Commercial Finance and Investor Relations until December 2020.

Her earlier career included various leadership roles in finance and financial planning and analysis at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC), where she served from April 2017 to May 2019.

Ms. Dempsey holds an MBA and a BA in Economics from Colorado State University.

Kate Horton is an accomplished multi-channel merchandising retail leader with extensive experience in strategizing and expanding diverse, high-growth businesses. In August 2023, Kate made her return to Torrid as the Chief Merchandising Officer, where she leads the merchandising team, collaborates closely with the design and planning teams and serves as part of the executive leadership team. Previously, Kate led the merchandising teams and strategy during Torrid’s exceptionally high topline and margin growth period of 2012-2019 as SVP, GMM.

Kate boasts expertise in Plus, Intimate Apparel, Vertical Retail, and Omni Growth sectors. Kate spent the 4 years away from Torrid in leadership roles at Forever 21, Brighton Collectables and consulting in the business development space. Prior to 2021, her five year tenure at Soma Intimates saw her driving merchandising and sourcing strategies in Soma’s high growth and expansion years, leveraging her expertise in intimate apparel, product strategy and leadership. She also held significant positions at The Camuto Group, The Marmaxx Group, Felina Lingerie, Fashion Forms, and Robinsons-May, consistently delivering sales growth and operational efficiency. Kate holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Demography from the University of California, Berkeley. Her dynamic leadership, strategic vision, and hands-on experience have consistently delivered exceptional results in the retail industry.

Ashlee Wheeler's professional journey reflects her deep expertise and leadership in planning and strategy within the retail industry. Beginning her career at Lucky Brand Jeans, she spent five years honing her skills in Merchandising Planning. In 2010, she joined Torrid, where her talent quickly became evident. Over the years, Ms. Wheeler took on roles of increasing responsibility, excelling in merchandise planning, commercial planning, and inventory management.

Her exceptional performance and strategic acumen led to her promotion to Senior Vice President of Company Planning & Strategy. Now, as Chief Planning Officer, she leads all facets of Planning, Strategy, Pricing & Promotion, Omni-Channel Fulfillment, and Analytics, with a strong emphasis on driving growth. Ashlee's journey from a skilled planner to a key leader at Torrid highlights her dedication and significant contributions to the company's success. Ms. Wheeler holds a degree in Design and Product Development from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

Hyon Park's professional journey showcases his expertise and leadership in technology and retail. With a solid foundation of over 25 years in information technology and consulting, Mr. Park has dedicated 20 of those years to direct-to-consumer retail organizations. His career includes significant roles at prominent companies such as Belk, Tailored Brands, and Gymboree.

In 2022, he joined Torrid as Chief Technology Officer, bringing his extensive experience and innovative mindset to the company. His strategic vision led to his promotion to Chief Operating Officer in 2024. In this role, he oversees technology and supply chain management, while also taking on the responsibility of managing store operations. Hyon holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Park’s journey from a seasoned technology executive to a pivotal leader at Torrid exemplifies his unwavering commitment to driving growth and excellence in the retail industry.

Laura Willensky has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer – Apparel and Accessories at Torrid since October 2024, bringing more than 20 years of experience in merchandising and brand leadership across public and private-equity-backed companies. She previously held senior roles including Chief Commercial Officer at Away, Brand President at Talbots, and Executive Vice President at Victoria’s Secret, where she led the beauty business. Earlier in her career, she was part of the founding team at Madewell and held merchandising leadership roles at J.Crew and Janie and Jack. Laura currently serves on the board of directors of Senreve, a digitally native accessories brand, and holds a BS in Accounting from the Lehigh University College of Business.