Episode 19: Chip Bergh

The Provocateurs

Nov 2 2023 • 42 mins

Rescuing Levi’s

A self-declared ‘brand guy’, Chip Bergh was appointed president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. in 2011. During his tenure the company has experienced a dramatic turnaround marked by outstanding performance and reclaiming its cultural relevance. In short, Levi’s has become cool again! Along the way, Chip has shown himself to be a provocateur.

In this podcast with Des Dearlove, co-founder of Thinkers50 and Geoff Tuff, Principal of Deloitte Consulting LLP, Chip explains why his own Levi’s have never seen the inside of a washing machine, how he galvanised the business community into pressing for  gun violence prevention legislation, and the importance of continuing the legacy of Levi Strauss: for business to make a difference in society.

Chip also shares his insights on how he made the Levi’s brand great again and kept it relevant for the fickle Gen Z market – without alienating the baby boomers like himself.

This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.