As August draws to a close, TheIndustry.fashion reflects on a month marked by numerous senior leadership shake-ups at major fashion brands from across the industry, as well as cornerstone institutions The British Fashion Council and the Scottish Retail Consortium.
One of the most notable changes sees Peter Ruis stepping down as Managing Director of John Lewis in September, after nearly three years in the role. It’s one of several leadership changes this year, following new CEO appointments at New Look, Suit Supply, Mountain Warehouse and Rains.
We have also see a number of brands seeking new creative directions with new appointments at Under Armour, Duke + Dexter, Carl Friedrik and SKIMS.
TheIndustry.fashion highlights the most notable appointments, spanning roles from CEOs and commercial leadership to creative directors and finance positions.
British Fashion Council Chair David Pemsel to exit
David Pemsel will leave his position as Chair of the British Fashion Council on 30 September, after serving four years in the role and spending a decade on its executive board. A successor will be announced next month.
Under Armour launches P-Star and names rapper Gunna as Creative Director
Under Armour, the US sportswear brand, launched P-Star, its first collection of 14 lifestyle and sportswear pieces, on 27 August and announced Grammy-nominated rapper Gunna as its Creative Director and brand ambassador.
SKIMS appoints Supreme’s creative chief as its first-ever Chief Design Officer
Erin Magee appointed first-ever Chief Design Officer at Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede’s shapewear brand SKIMS, which also promoted Kim Schraub to Chief Brand Officer.
ECCO strengthens leadership team with two new hires
Neal Taylor and Adam Meek joined ECCO as Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, and Executive Vice President, Chief Product Officer, respectively, effective immediately. ECCO is a Danish company specialising in footwear and leather goods.
N Brown names Managing Director of Retail for its ‘next phase of growth’
N Brown Group, the owner of JD Williams, Jacamo and Simply Be, appointed Zoe Matthews as Managing Director of Retail.
Primark Menswear Director departs to join NEXT
Steve Coates, who is joining NEXT from Primark, was appointed the retailer’s new Menswear Product Director, returning to the retailer where he started his buying career. He takes over from Giles Vinning, who will reportedly be departing NEXT after almost 25 years.
Vuori taps former Abercrombie & Fitch exec as new CMO
Carey Collins Krug, formerly CMO of Abercrombie & Fitch, will become Californian activewear brand Vuori’s Chief Marketing Officer, effective 5 October.
ASOS poaches NEXT own brand chief as Menswear Product Director
ASOS appointed Jon Bennett as Menswear Product Director for ASOS Design “to support the next phase of sustainable growth”.
Carl Friedrik names Creative Director
Santiago de Hoyos is joining Carl Friedrik as its new Creative Director.
Mulberry appoints former Dr. Martens CEO Kenny Wilson as Non-Exec Director
Mulberry, the British luxury brand, appointed Kenny Wilson as Non-Executive Director.
Rains appoints CEO as co-founder steps back
Tom Bettinson is taking over as new Group CEO of Danish outerwear and lifestyle brand Rains, following co-founder Daniel Brix Hesselager’s 18-month tenure as CEO.
Two executive vice-presidents depart as ASOS changes senior team
Ben Blake, EVP Customer & Commercial, and Przemek Czarnecki, EVP Technology, are set to leave the online retailer on 31 August 2026.
Peter Ruis steps down as John Lewis Managing Director as successor named
Partnership board member Will Kernan is set to succeed Peter Ruis in mid-September, as Ruis steps down as Managing Director of John Lewis.
Puma appoints Zalando’s former sports merchandising lead
Carlo Alberto Cingolani, Zalando’s former Head of Merchandising Sports, joined Puma as its new Global Director for Commercial Go-To-Market.
Mountain Warehouse appoints new CEO as founder steps down
Marcus Ward, a long-standing executive at outdoor specialist retailer Mountain Warehouse, will become its new CEO, effective 1 September, while Mark Neale relinquishes the role he has held since founding the company in 1997.
Daniel Kearns reunites with David Beckham to lead BOSS BY BECKHAM design
Daniel Kearns is taking on the role of Head of Design for BOSS BY BECKHAM at Hugo Boss, bringing the menswear designer back together with David Beckham following their earlier collaboration at Kent & Curwen.
JD Sports appoints former IKEA CEO as Chair
JD Sports Fashion appointed Peter Agnefjäll as Chair, effective from 1 September 2026.
Pandora names CFO successor to long-serving finance chief Anders Boyer
Paulo Garcia became Pandora’s new Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Anders Boyer, who will retire after more than 14 years with the jewellery giant.
Dr. Martens adds former Sephora Asia President to board
Dr. Martens appointed Alia Gogi as an Independent Non-Executive Director, effective from 1 September 2026.
Duke + Dexter promotes Connor Boon to Creative Director
Connor Boon was promoted to Creative Director at British footwear and lifestyle brand Duke + Dexter as it expands beyond footwear.
Suit Direct owner Baird Group promotes CFO to CEO
Tim Murphy, the Chief Financial Officer of Leeds-based menswear company Baird Group, which owns value tailoring retailer Suit Direct, was promoted to Chief Executive Officer following the departure of Koray Gül after two and a half years.
SKIMS poaches Victoria Beckham Brand Partnerships Director as VP of Comms
SKIMS appointed Jasmine Sevan as Vice President of Communications, reporting into Chief Communications Officer Tracy Nguyen.
New Look names CEO after its strongest results in a decade
Chief Operating Officer Lynda Petherick became New Look’s next CEO, after earnings improved and further investment was made in customer data technology.
Matalan CEO exits with Executive Chair set to lead continued turnaround
Matalan announced that Chief Executive Officer Henrik Nordvall will depart following an agreement with the board, while Karl-Heinz Holland was appointed Executive Chair on a permanent basis. Nordvall leaves the business by mutual agreement.
Scottish Retail Consortium appoints new Chair
The Scottish Retail Consortium appointed Karen Scott, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Midland Co-operative Society (Scotmid), as its new Chair.