Shannon Washburn, who currently serves as Shinola Detroit LLC’s vice president of watch development, will succeed company veteran Jacques Panis as the watch brand’s president, the company announced today.
In her new role, Washburn will lead Shinola’s brand and product development teams, as well as its marketing efforts. She has worked with brand founder Tom Kartsotis in various professional capacities for nearly three decades, a statement said. She will report to Shinola CEO Tom Lewand.
Prior to joining Shinola, Washburn worked for Fossil for 14 years, according to a Shinola blog post. She was promoted to vice president of watch development in 2016.
Panis, meanwhile, is departing both Shinola and sister company Bedrock Manufacturing Group. He has been with the Shinola brand since its inception in 2011 and has worked with Kartsotis for the last 10 years.
“There comes a point in every career where it’s time to move on down the road, and that time has come for me,” Panis said in a statement. “I will be taking some time to pause and reflect before defining what is ‘next’ for me.”
Kartsotis added in the same statement, “Jacques and I have worked together for over 10 years, the last seven in a central capacity of helping to create Shinola.…The brand has evolved to a point where the best parts of Jacques’ unique capabilities can be put to better use in a role that is more entrepreneurial than what his current role has become.”
“Jacques, as one of our cofounders, will always be a part of the brand,” Kartsotis continued, and he added that he expects to work on different projects with Panis.
Tom Lewand, a former president of the Detroit Lions, was appointed CEO of Shinola in 2016, replacing former CEO Steve Bock.
(Top image: Shannon Washburn; all images courtesy of Shinola.)
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