The overhaul of top management at Gap Inc. showed no signs of slowing down on Thursday, with the departure of Charlotte Neuville, head designer for Gap North America.

In addition, Tom Wyatt, president of GapBody, has taken on the additional role of president of Gap Inc. Outlet.

The retailer said the search for a successor to Neuville, 54, whose official title was executive vice president of Gap adult design and product development, would target individuals from outside the company.

The company did not specify the circumstances of Neu­ville's exit, and she could not be reached for comment.

More management changes are expected after president and chief executive officer Paul Pressler was pushed out last month following a failed four-and-a-half-year effort to turn around the $16 billion retailer, which has 3,100 stores. Gap chairman Robert J. Fisher, son of company founder Donald Fisher, was named interim ceo and president.

Gap is trying to reverse declining sales trends, and Neuville was a key player in the company's unsuccessful effort last fall and holiday to revive the brand with intense marketing and emphasis on Gap's iconic categories, including denim, pants and T-shirts.

Last week, Marka Hansen, president of the chain's Banana Republic unit, was named president of Gap North America, replacing Cynthia Harriss. Like Pressler, who hired her, Harriss had been a Walt Disney Co. executive.

"On behalf of everyone at Gap brand, I want to thank Charlotte for all her efforts," Hansen said in a statement.

Neuville joined Gap in October 2005 and oversaw all aspects of product design and development for the brand's adult men's and women's apparel and accessories. The Gap brand is an estimated $6 billion business. Neuville for nine years had been executive vice president of design for New York & Co., where she led the design team's creative direction for women's apparel. Before that, she held senior design positions at Cygne Designs, Jones New York Sport, Adrienne Vittadini and Perry Ellis. In addition, Neuville had her own apparel collection. She is a native of San Francisco, where Gap Inc. is based, but worked at the company's New York design center.

Wyatt, 51, succeeds Diane Neal, who left the company in November. He will continue to report to Hansen.

"Tom has led a number of well-respected companies with large brand portfolios during his 30-year career in retail," Hansen said in the statement. "We're confident that he'll continue to build on the foundation for growth that he has established with GapBody while he works with the Outlet team to identify opportunities to drive their business forward." The company operates more than 300 outlets.

"I'm delighted to have the opportunity to lead the Outlet organization," Wyatt said. "There is a terrific team in place and I'm looking forward to working with them to unlock the potential in the Outlet business."

Wyatt joined Gap a year ago from Cutter & Buck Inc., where he was president and ceo. Previously, he had been chairman and ceo of Parisian, led Warnaco Intimate Apparel and spent more than 20 years with Vanity Fair, where he was president of the brand's Intimates Collection.

Source: WWD