8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event Reported): February 1, 2005

LEVI STRAUSS & CO.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE	002-90139	94-0905160
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1155 BATTERY STREET

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94111

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(415) 501-6000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (See General Instruction A.2. below):

¨ Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communication pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communication pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240. 13e-4(c))

ITEM 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.

Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer

On February 1, 2005, we issued a press release announcing the appointment of Hans Ploos van Amstel, 39, as our new Chief Financial Officer, effective March 7, 2005.

Prior to his appointment by our board, Mr. Ploos van Amstel had served as Vice President of Finance and Operations for Levi Strauss & Co. Europe since 2003, where he developed the financial plans for, and was instrumental in developing and implementing the restructuring of, our European division. Mr. Ploos van Amstel joined us from Procter & Gamble, an Ohio corporation, whose principal business is the manufacturing and marketing of consumer and household products. Mr. Ploos van Amstel joined Procter & Gamble in 1989, where he served in various capacities throughout Europe and the Middle East, leading to his appointment in 1999 as Finance Director of Global Corporate F&HC, and culminating in his appointment in 2001 as Finance Director of Procter and Gamble’s F&HC Europe division.

Mr. Ploos van Amstel is not a director of any other reporting issuers and has no family relationship with any of our other officers or directors. There are no related party transactions between and Mr. Ploos van Amstel and us as described by Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, and there was no arrangement or understanding pursuant to which Mr. Ploos van Amstel was appointed as our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Ploos van Amstel does not have an employment contract with us.

Our current interim Chief Financial Officer, James Fogarty, will resign effective March 7, 2005.

A copy of the press release is attached hereto as exhibit 99.1.

ITEM 9.01. Financial Statements And Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

99.1     Press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Ploos van Amstel as Chief Financial Officer of Levi Strauss & Co.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	LEVI STRAUSS & CO.
DATE: February 7, 2005	By:	/s/ Gary W. Grellman
	Name:	Gary W. Grellman
	Title:	Vice President, Controller

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Ploos van Amstel as Chief Financial Officer of Levi Strauss & Co.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

LEVI	1155 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
STRAUSS
& Co.	CONFIDENTIAL
NEWS		Media Contact:	Jeff Beckman
For Immediate Release			Levi Strauss & Co.
			(415) 501-1698

LEVI STRAUSS & CO. APPOINTS NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

SAN FRANCISCO (February 1, 2005) — Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO.) today named Hans Ploos van Amstel the company’s new chief financial officer, effective March 7, 2005. Ploos van Amstel previously led finance and operations for LS&CO.’s European division as vice president and CFO, a position he has held since May of 2003.

“Hans is an exceptional finance executive. He has delivered outstanding productivity improvements, greatly enhanced our financial controls and developed rigorous U.S. GAAP and compliance capabilities within the division,” said LS&CO.’s chief executive officer, Phil Marineau. “Hans’ strong operational discipline and drive will be great assets as we continue to transform the business.”

Prior to joining Levi Strauss & Co., Ploos van Amstel spent 14 years in increasingly responsible finance positions at Procter & Gamble – a company known worldwide for developing top-rated financial talent. In 2001, he became the CFO of P&G’s largest division where he delivered a very strong financial performance.

“When Hans came to LS&CO., he brought a thorough understanding of what it takes from a financial perspective to operate a complex and global company,” Marineau added. “We believe this strength, coupled with his deep knowledge of our business operations, will enable him to hit the ground running in his new role.”

- more -

LS&CO. Appoints New Chief Financial Officer/Add One

February 1, 2005

“I’m pleased to have the opportunity to further contribute to LS&CO.’s business transformation,” said Ploos van Amstel. “And I’m looking forward to working with Phil and the worldwide leadership team to continue building the company’s financial strength.”

Ploos van Amstel takes over the chief financial officer role from Jim Fogarty, a managing director with the financial consulting firm of Alvarez & Marsal, who has served as the company’s interim CFO for the past year, helping to improve earnings, reduce costs and debt, and strengthen its accounting capabilities and reporting processes.

“We owe Jim a debt of gratitude for the outstanding job he has done during the past year,” said Marineau. “He has helped instill financial discipline and improved our capital structure. Thanks to him, Hans will join a strong global finance team. Jim will work closely with Hans during the next month to ensure a smooth transition.”

A native of Holland, Ploos van Amstel has an undergraduate degree in economics, accounting and taxes from Economische Hogeschool in Holland, and graduated with honors in 1989 with a combination of an MBA and the Dutch equivalent of a U.S. CPA from the University of Tilburg in Holland.

This news release contains, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. We use words like “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of our senior management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Investors should consider the information contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 2003, especially in the Risk Factors and Management’s Discussion and Analysis sections, our most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on our future results, performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this news release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this news release. We are not under any obligation and do not intend to make publicly available any update or other revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release to reflect circumstances existing after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of future events even if experience or future events make it clear that any expected results expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements will not be realized.

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