When Forrest Deegan first joined clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) in 2012 as its first-ever director of compliance, he never could have imagined the many twists and turns that would come his way. 

Deegan is a lawyer by training. Earlier in his career, he worked as an associate in the D.C. office of law firm Arnold & Porter, where he found himself almost exclusively working with corporate clients, helping them strategize and develop their compliance and training programs. Loving that work, he knew he had found his new calling. 

Deegan would join A&F at a transformational time in the company's 126-year history. Founded in 1892 by David Abercrombie as a hunting and fishing equipment store, the brand was eventually renamed Abercrombie & Fitch in 1904 to reflect the name of its co-founder, Ezra Fitch. A&F would continue to expand its stores throughout the years, creating the Hollister brand in 2000, but remained a U.S. retailer for most of its existence. Today, A&F has nearly 900 stores in 20 countries across the world and is 40,000 associates strong. 

Read more at Compliance Week