Gap is searching for a new president of its Old Navy brand after Dawn Robertson stepped down 16 months after being drafted in to turn around flagging sales.

Tom Wyatt, president of Gap’s Outlet division, has become acting president of Old Navy.

Gap chairman and chief executive Glenn Murphy said: “I appreciate Dawn’s hard work over the past 16 months and wish her all the best. We’re fortunate to have someone of Tom Wyatt’s calibre and experience, as both a president of our Outlet division and a former retail chief executive to guide Old Navy during this transition.”

The decision to leave was “mutual”, according to Gap.

Murphy added: “Old Navy has a team of talented and creative leaders who will work closely with Tom to ensure that the brand continues to execute on its strategic priorities. Working together, I’m confident we can successfully move forward to evolve the brand and improve our results.”

Like-for-like sales at Old Navy fell 3 per cent in January.