Caroline Brown Joins Burton's Board as Denny Bruce Becomes CEO
Caroline Brown, the former global brand president of The North Face, has joined the board of directors of Burton, the Vermont-based snowboard company. WWD reported the appointment on 22 October 2026.
Burton makes far more than boards. Its range includes snowboards, boots, bindings, outerwear and layering pieces, along with apparel, packs and bags, and accessories. The company was founded in 1977 by Jack Burton Carpenter, who started it out of his barn in Vermont. Donna Carpenter owns Burton and chairs its board.
The same report says Burton has named Denny Bruce as chief executive. Bruce succeeds Donna Carpenter, who had served as interim chief executive since June.
Brown's career has moved between fashion and finance. She was chief executive of Donna Karan International, the company behind the DKNY label. She later served as president of Carolina Herrera, the New York fashion house, and as U.S. chief executive of Akris, the Swiss luxury label. She also worked as a managing director at Closed Loop Partners, a New York investment firm.
Her most recent role was at The North Face, the outdoor clothing brand owned by VF Corp, the apparel group. She left the brand in March after less than two years. Earlier, she had sat on the VF Corp board. VF Corp named her to that board in February 2024 after what it described as constructive engagement with its shareholders.
Burton, founded more than four decades ago, now has a new chief executive and a new board member with experience at large apparel and accessories companies.
