Tag: president

Franois-Henry Bennahmias, CEO of Audemars Piguet

The Latest luxury industry appointments at Richemont, Burberry, Six Senses Resorts & Spas, Audemars Piguet, Givenchy, Cartier & Diet Coke

Kathleen Tayor is to leave the CEO post of Four Seasons hotels, after serving the Toronto-based hotelier since 1989. The company’s nine-member executive leadership team will assume management until a successor is found.

Over at Breitling, Franz La Rosee has stepped down, after serving as managing director of Breitling UK for the past 26 years. "I have enjoyed every one of those years and it has been my privilege to navigate the company through so many exciting, challenging and, sometimes stormy, seas,” he explained to Retail Jeweller.

Serge Jureidini has resigned as president of Lancme in the U.S. to become president and chief executive officer of Arcade Marketing. Jimmy Choo co-creative director, Simon Holloway, has also departed, leaving Sandra Choi as the sole creative director of the Labelux brand.

Finally, Mario Grauso will step down from his presidency at Vera Wang Group, and instead work with the brand as a consultant.

Bernard Fornas, Co-CEO, Richemont

Compagnie Financire Richemont SA has nominated Bernard Fornas – former CEO of Cartier – to the Board of Directors. The current joint deputy CEO will become Co-CEO alongside Richard Lepeu on April 1st, 2013, and remain a member of its Group Management Committee.

Source: Fox Business

Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO, Bulgari

LVMH have named Jean-Christophe Babin, who has led Tag Heuer since joining LVMH in 2000, as the new CEO at Bulgari. The appointment comes two months after Bulgari head Michael Burke was named successor to Louis Vuitton CEO Jordi Constans. Constans left a month after taking the post because of illness.

Source: Business Week

Carol Fairweather, CFO, Burberry

Burberry have announced a round of executive shake-ups, in which CFO Stacey Cartwright will step down to pursue other interests and be replaced by Carol Fairweather in July. Ms. Fairweather has been with the fashion group for six years, following service at News Corp’s British newspaper arm, News International.

Source: Reuters

John Smith, COO, Burberry

Burberry has also created a new COO role “to support the next phase of growth”, appointing media executive John Smith. Mr. Smith was most recently chief executive of BBC Worldwide, which sells content made by the British licence fee-funded broadcaster to other countries.

Source: Reuters

Laurent Feniou, Managing Director, Cartier UK

Laurent Feniou, a veteran banker at Rothschild in London has been hired as managing director of Cartier’s UK operations. Cartier has recently undergone a management overhaul that saw Stanislas de Quercize replace long-time Cartier chief Bernard Fomas at the end of 2012.

Source: Reuters

Riccardo Tisci, Creative Director, Givenchy

Givenchy creative designer, Riccardo Tisci, has extended his contract by three years with the LVMH-owned French house. Tisci joined Givenchy in 2005, which is now under the management leadership of former Prada executive Sebastian Suhl.

Source: WWD

Neil Jacobs, CEO, Six Senses Resorts & Spas

Pegasus Capital Advisors LP appointed Neil Jacobs, former president of Starwood Capital Group LLC’s hotel unit, to run its Six Senses Resorts & Spas division as it seeks to expand the ultra-luxury brand. Mr. Jacobs previously oversaw development of Starwood’s Baccarat and 1 Hotels brands.

Source: Bloomberg

Tara Ffrench-Mullen, Marketing & PR Director, Charlotte Olympia

Luxury footwear and accessory brand Charlotte Olympia has announced the appointment of Tara ffrench-Mullen as Global Marketing & PR Director, effective immediately. Tara previously worked in the PR and marketing team at L.K. Bennett.

Source: Fashion Monitor

Franois-Henry Bennahmias, CEO, Audemars Piguet

After serving as “general manager ad interim” since May 2012, Franois-Henry Bennahmias was recently made chief executive officer of the Audemars Piguet Group by the board of directors. The family-owned brand and previous CEO Phillipe Merk ended their collaboration last year due to “differences in company strategy.

Source: Watchtime

Marc Jacobs, Creative Director, Diet Coke

Marc Jacobs has been named Diet Coke’s new creative director for 2013, for which he has designed three cans, three bottles and three ad campaigns, each corresponding to a recent decade in fashion. One campaign features the designer himself stripping in a photo booth and posing in playful, pin-up-style ads.

Source: WWD

For more in the series of The Latest Appointments, please see our most recent editions as follows:

- The Latest Appointments: Harrods, Balenciaga & Louis Vuitton
- The Latest Appointments: Christie’s, Richemont & Ferrari
- The Latest Appointments: PPR, Cadillac & Baccarat

Nicolas Ghesquire and Balenciaga will part ways at the end of November (Image: Giovanni Giannoni, WWD / Cond Nast / Corbis)

The Latest Appointments at Tom Ford, Walpole, Alberta Ferretti, Richemont, Orient-Express & Vertu, with exits at Balenciaga, Gilt Groupe, Azzaro & Cacharel

After 15 years with PPR, Nicolas Ghesquire and Balenciaga have reached a “joint decision to end their working relationship,” effective Nov. 30. CEO Isabelle Guichot told WWD a successor would be named “as soon as we’re ready,” and that the brand already has a short list of candidates. Over the weekend Christopher Kane was rumoured to take the top spot, something he has since denied to WWD.

Over at Azzaro, creative director Mathilde Castello Branco has stepped down from her role after just over a year. “The House of Azzaro and Mathilde Castello Branco are moving forward in different directions,” explained a statement from the brand. “Azzaro will shortly be announcing her successor.”

At Cacharel, CEO Pascal d’Halluin has confirmed his exit, also after less than one year in the role. According to WWD, the executive is leaving by mutual agreement with the French label’s founder and president Jean Bousquet following his trial period.

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, has resigned his position as chairman of Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, Europe’s first private operator of high-speed trains. “My growing professional commitments force me to step back now that the company is fully operational,” Montezemolo explained to Reuters. “I will continue to contribute to the success of this company, as shareholder and board member.”

Finally Gilt Group’s board and co-founder Kevin Ryan have “agreed about two months ago that Ryan should step aside in favour of a new CEO with strong operations and e-commerce skills.” The to-be-named replacement will be the company’s third CEO in two years, and is expected to steer the eventual launch of an IPO.

Marc Spiegler, Director, Art Basel

Marc Spiegler has been appointed to oversee Art Basel events in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach, Florida & Hong Kong, as the organisation re-arranges its leadership team. Mr. Spiegler will chair a four-member executive committee including a director of new initiatives, director Asia, and a director of resources and finance who will be named in the near future.

Source: Gallerist

Kamel Ouadi, Managing Director, Christie’s

Kamel Ouadi has joined famed auction house Christie’s as international managing director. Mr. Ouadi most recently served at Louis Vuitton as chief digital officer/chief creative officer, where he was responsible for the conception and launch of NOWNESS.com

Source: LinkedIn

Jean -Guillaume Prats, CEO, Estates & Wines

Jean-Guillaume Prats will join LVMH-owned Estates & Wines effective February 2013. Mr. Prats will be based in Paris, and will be a board member of the LVMH Comit Oprationnel. Since 2011, Prats has been chairman of the board of Domaines Reybier and Chteau Cos d’Estournel.

Source: Decanter

Eddy Cue, Board, Ferrari

Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP Internet software and services has joined the board of Ferrari. Mr. Cue currently oversees the iTunes Store, the App Store and the iBookstore, as well as Siri, Maps, iAd and Apple’s iCloud services.

Source: New Car Net

Christophe de Pous, CEO, Gucci North America

Effective January 1, Christophe de Pous will assume responsibility for Gucci North America. Mr. De Pous has served as president and CEO of Gucci Japan since September 2009, and replaces Lauren Lendrum, who left the position in April.

Source: Styleite

Cristina Egal, Managing Director, Lorenz Bumer

Cristina Egal has been named the first managing director of Lorenz Bumer, reporting to Bumer, the president, founder and creative force behind the brand. Most recently, Ms. Egal operated an eponymous communications agency and boasted such clients as BNP Paribas, Sodexo, Servair and Fondation Claude Pompidou.

Source: Fashion Snoops

John Scott, CEO, Orient-Express

John Scott will become president and CEO of Orient-Express hotels, after serving as CEO of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts for over eight years. He replaces Paul White, the former president and CEO of Orient-Express Hotels, who resigned from the company and from the Board last year.

Source: Travel Mole

Natalie Ratabesi, Creative Director, Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti

Alberta Ferretti will hand over the creative direction of the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti collection to Natalie Ratabesi, who most recently served as senior creative director at Ralph Lauren. The British designer and graduate from Central Saint Martins College will make her debut for the brand with the autumn/winter 2013 collection.

Source: Fashion United

Bernard Fornas, Richard Lepeu, Co-CEOs, Richemont

Richemont has appointed two longstanding employees as joint chief executives, in a bid to help founder and controlling shareholder Johann Rupert steer the luxury goods group through a period of slowing sales growth in its important Asian markets. Cartier chief Bernard Fornas and deputy chief executive Richard Lepeu will take over from Rupert as CEO in April 2013.

Source: Reuters

Eva Taub, CEO, Robert Clergerie

Robert Clergerie has appointed Eva Taub as CEO, following tenure as head of Christian Dior Couture’s leather division at LVMH. The Stanford and Harvard Business School alum previously launched Isotoner in Europe, prior to which she served as a Merrill Lynch financial advisor in New York and Hong Kong.

Source: Fashion Week Daily

Jerome Cheung, CEO Asia Pacific, Tom Ford

Former Gucci Group executive Jerome Cheung, has been named to succeed Regina Lam as chief executive officer at Tom Ford, for the Asia-Pacific area. The position is based in Hong Kong and Cheung will be reporting to Tom Mendenhall, vice president and chief operating officer (COO) of the company since 2006.

Source: Fashion Mag

Anssi Vanjoki, Chairman, Vertu

Luxury phone maker Vertu has selected long-time Nokia executive Anssi Vanjoki as its non-executive chairman following an ownership change. Vanjoki, who spent 20 years at Nokia in various executive positions, left the Finnish cell phone maker in 2010 after the board appointed Stephen Elop as the next chief executive.

Source: Reuters

Michael Ward, Jonathan Heilbron, Board, Walpole

UK luxury brand trade body, Walpole, has announced the appointment of Michael Ward, managing director of Harrods, and Jonathan Heilbron, CEO of Thomas Pink, to its board of directors. Prior to joining the board, both Ward and Heilbron have been long-time supporters of Walpole, as Walpole Brands of Tomorrow mentors and regular speakers.

Source: Fashion United

For more in the series of The Latest Appointments, please see our most recent editions as follows:

- The Latest Appointments: PPR, Cadillac & Baccarat
- The Latest Appointments: Mulberry, DVF & Ralph Lauren
- The Latest Appointments: Burberry, Coty & Cond Nast

Alexander Wang has been appointed creative director of Balenciaga, following the departure of Nicolas Ghesquire

New leadership for a new year, we bring you the latest luxury industry appointments at LVMH, Fisker Automotive, Alexander Wang, Este Lauder & Bloomberg Pursuits

Brigitte Taittinger has left her post as president of Annick Goutal, following 20 years at the helm. The move comes just eighteen months after Korean group, Amore Pacific, joined forced with US Starwood Capital to acquire the perfume house. A statement indicated that her decision had been made in agreement with shareholders.

Over at BMW, Christoph Stark will retire as China head in February after overseeing BMW sales jump about 15-fold over eight years in the country. Karsten Engel, currently the senior vice president of BMW Group Germany, will take over the China portfolio from March 1 according to Bloomberg.

Nicolas Abboud, chief executive officer of de Grisogono, has suddenly left his post citing family reasons, after only about six months on the job. The company said Abboud’s departure was unrelated to his strategy for the company and not a decision by the board. Abboud is said to be looking for another job in Paris.

Finally, management changes are afoot at Escada following the departure of Denise Shepard – managing director UK – and her French counterpart Nathalie Banessy. Jacob Bjerregaard, VP of sales and trade marketing, will now oversee development in German, Austrian, English, French and Italian markets.

Tanja Ruhnke, VP Communications, Alexander Wang

Tanja Ruhnke has joined Alexander Wang as vice president of global branding and communications, taking over responsibilities from Leslie Rubisch, who recently transitioned into consulting. Ms. Ruhnke most recently served as head of communications at Rag & Bone.

Source: WWD

Alexander Wang, Creative Director, Balenciaga

PPR have announced the appointment of Alexander Wang to the post of Creative Director of the Balenciaga fashion house. Wang now has responsibility for designing the brand’s women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections, as well as for Balenciaga’s image.

Source: PPR

Ted Moncreiff, Editor, Bloomberg Pursuits

Ted Moncreiff has been appointed as the editor of Pursuits, the luxury magazine for Bloomberg terminal customers. Mr. Moncreiff most recently served at Cond Nast Ideactive, the ad agency-like outfit within the company’s corporate ad sales division.

Source: WWD

Marc Rey, President US, Coty Prestige

Coty Inc. has confirmed the appointment of Marc Rey as president, Coty Prestige U.S., and regional vice president, Coty Prestige, North America, effective Jan. 2, 2013. Rey replaces Bob Cankes, who will retire in the second half of this fiscal year, after 14 years with Coty and a decorated career within the beauty industry.

Source: Coty

Daniel Wingate, Fashion Director, Escada

German fashion house Escada has announced the promotion of Daniel Wingate, current design director of the Escada mainline collection, to fashion director. Mr. Wingate will be responsible for the direction of the fashion house’s Escada and Escada Sport lines.

Source: FashionUnited

Thia Breene, Lynne Green, Presidents, Este Lauder

Este Lauder has expanded its number of Group Presidents, from two to four, adding two new senior positions to top management. Thia Breen has been named to the new position of Group President North America, and will oversee both the U.S. and Canadian affiliates.

Lynne Greene has been named to the new position of Group President, continuing to oversee the Clinique, Origins and Ojon global brands, with the addition of the Aveda and Darphin brands.

Source: Este Lauder Companies

Joel Ewanick, Chief of Global Sales, Fisker

Fisker Automotive has hired Joel Ewanick, the former head of marketing at General Motors, as its interim chief of global sales and marketing. Fisker also confirmed that Richard Beattie, who had been the company’s chief commercial officer, was retiring.

Source: NYTimes

Michelle Peluso, Board, Gilt Groupe

Online luxury retailer Gilt Groupe has added Michelle Peluso to its board of directors. Ms. Peluso spent the previous six years as president and CEO of Travelocity and Executive Vice President of Sabre Holding Corp. Prior, she served as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.

Source: PRNewswire

Sarah Brown, Director, Harrods

Qatar Holding has announced that Sarah Brown, the wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has been appointed as a non-executive director of Harrods. A spokesperson for Qatar Holding revealed that Brown would provide “input and insight into the company’s strategic initiatives and overall business”.

Source: Fashion United

Neeraj Khemlani , SVP, Hearst Corp

In a new role for Hearst Corp, Neeraj Khemlani has been tapped as senior vice president and chief creative officer. Mr. Khemlani will work with Hearst’s creative teams, managers and group heads across digital and print platforms, after serving since 2009 as special assistant to the CEO of digital media.

Source: WWD

Gerd von Podewils, SVP, Hugo Boss

Gerd von Podewils has been named senior vice president, global communications at Hugo Boss, effective Jan. 1. Podewils succeeds 12-year Boss veteran Philipp Wolff, who is leaving the German fashion company at the end of the year to pursue “new business interests.”

Source: WWD

Pietro Borsotti, Commercial Director, Leonard

French fashion house Leonard said it has appointed Pietro Borsotti as commercial director, in charge of the distribution network and development of both the main collection and the secondary line. Mr. Borsotti was previously managing director of the French divisions of Trussardi and Valentino Fashion Group.

Source: FashionSnoops360

Michael Burke, CEO, Louis Vuitton

Michael Burke will re-join Louis Vuitton as CEO, following the news that Jordi Constans is stepping down “due to the discovery of a significant health issue.” Mr. Burke most recently served as the head of Bulgari, but also ran Vuitton’s North American business from 1993 to 1997.

Source: Bloomberg

Pauline Brown, Chairman, LVMH US

LVMH has tapped Pauline Brown as chairman of its North American arm, LVMH Inc, after working as an independent investor and adviser to emerging luxury brands for the past two years. Prior, Ms. Brown served as a managing director at The Carlyle Group, working on the private equity firm’s global consumer and retail team.

Source: WWD

Ivana Omazic, Senior Creative, Maison Martin Margiela

Former Celine designer Ivana Omazic recently joined notoriously press-shy Maison Martin Margiela in a ‘senior creative capacity’. After working with brands such as Prada Sport, Jil Sander and Miu Miu, this is the first time Omazic has had such a high-profile role at a house, since Celine.

Source: Fashionista

Ron Offir, SVP eCommerce, Michael Kors

Ron Offir has joined Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. as senior vice president of its e-commerce division. Mr. Offir will be responsible for leading the company’s new global e-commerce strategy, following tenure as president of e-commerce and retail at The Jones Group.

Source: WWD

Kate Lanphear, Style Director, T Magazine

Ex-Elle style director Kate Lanphear has joined T: The New York Times Style Magazine as style director and will report on the upcoming shows for the U.S. glossy. Ms. Lanphear was named Style Director at Elle in 2008, and was at the magazine for a number of year’s prior.

Source: Fashionista

For more in the series of The Latest Appointments, please see our most recent editions as follows:

- The Latest Appointments: Christie’s, Richemont & Ferrari
- The Latest Appointments: PPR, Cadillac & Baccarat
- The Latest Appointments: Mulberry, DVF & Ralph Lauren