As September draws to a close, TheIndustry.fashion reflects on a month marked by numerous leadership shake-ups across major fashion brands, spanning boardrooms, product teams and customer-facing creative roles.
There has been a continued reshuffle at Hugo Boss, which most recently appointed Ivica Maric to lead finance and operations, following the appointment of Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray as Supervisory Board Chair. Meanwhile, Jigsaw appointed Melanie Walker as Design Director and ASOS named Law Roach as its first Stylist in Residence. Emporio Armani also appointed Dario Vitale as Creative Director, making him the first designer from outside the Armani family to take on the role.
TheIndustry.fashion highlights the month’s most notable appointments, spanning roles from CEOs and commercial leaders to creative directors and finance executives.
Hugo Boss names new CFO and COO as Yves Müller steps down
Hugo Boss Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Yves Müller is leaving the German fashion group’s Managing Board, with Ivica Maric taking over both roles on 1 October. Hugo Boss said Müller had stepped down from his mandate at his own request for personal reasons.
Michael Murray becomes Hugo Boss Chairman as Frasers seeks majority control
Hugo Boss appointed Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray as Chairman of its Supervisory Board, giving Frasers greater influence as it pursues majority ownership of the German fashion company. Murray succeeds Stephan Sturm, who “decided to step down” from the group’s supervisory board following discussions with largest shareholder Frasers two days ago, on 14 September.
Heal’s appoints former Liberty exec Sarah Coonan as CEO
Heal’s appointed former Liberty Managing Director Sarah Coonan as its new Chief Executive, with Coonan set to join the furniture retailer on 1 October 2026. Coonan spent 15 years at Liberty, joining the department store in 2010 and holding a number of senior buying and retail roles before becoming Retail Managing Director in 2022.
Jil Sander appoints Marco Viganò as CEO
Jil Sander appointed Marco Viganò as its new Chief Executive Officer. Viganò reports to OTB Group CEO Ubaldo Minelli, who has led Jil Sander on an interim basis since the departure of Serge Brunschwig in July 2025.
Autry appoints new CEO to lead international expansion
Premium sneaker brand Autry appointed Danilo Piarulli as its new Chief Executive Officer, tasking the industry veteran with scaling its direct-to-consumer business and international footprint. Piarulli joined Autry after 13 years at Golden Goose, where he most recently served as Chief Consumer Officer and an executive member of its board of directors.
Fast Retailing appoints new global CEO for Theory
Fast Retailing named James Kelly as global Chief Executive Officer of contemporary fashion brand Theory. In this role, Kelly oversees Theory and Helmut Lang’s global headquarters, commercial operations and international growth initiatives.
JD bolsters leadership team with North America CEO and Group CMO appointments
JD Sports Fashion promoted John Mersho to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer for North America. It also appointed Mike Grimes as Chief Marketing Officer for JD Group. Mersho, who has served as Chief Commercial Officer for JD North America, JD Group’s largest region, accounting for 38% of group sales in FY26 (approximately £4.8 billion), since 2025, steps into his new position following the retirement of John Hall after a four-decade career in retail.
New Look promotes seven executives in leadership restructure
British fashion brand New Look replaced its current C-suite structure with a broader Executive Committee, promoting seven senior executives ahead of Lynda Petherick coming in as CEO. The ten-member committee took effect on 21 September, one day before Petherick formally succeeded New Look’s former CEO Helen Connolly.
British Fashion Council appoints Pavita Cooper as incoming Chair
The British Fashion Council appointed Pavita Cooper as Chair from 1 October 2026, with Caroline Issa taking the newly created position of Deputy Chair. Cooper will succeed David Pemsel, who steps down on 30 September after 10 years on the BFC board, including the past four as Chair.
N Brown adds former M&S exec Richard Price to board
Former Marks & Spencer Managing Director of Clothing, Home & Beauty, Richard Price, joined N Brown Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director, as the retailer continues its transformation. Price brings more than 35 years of UK retail experience to the N Brown board, having held senior roles at M&S, Tesco, BHS and NEXT across product, merchandising, trading and customer proposition.
Matalan names former M&S exec Richard Price as adviser
Richard Price also appointed as an adviser to Matalan as it continues to deliver its transformation and growth strategy. Price, who held the MD role at Marks & Spencer for almost five years, from July 2020 to May 2025, is one of the UK’s most experienced clothing retail leaders, with a career spanning more than three decades.
Matalan COO Phil Hackney exits after three years
Matalan Chief Operating Officer Phil Hackney left the fashion retailer after three years with the business, with a new role lined up later this month. Hackney joined Matalan in June 2023 as Chief Supply Chain Officer before being promoted to Chief Operating Officer in February 2026.
Mango appoints global retail chief as UK expansion reaches Chester
Spanish fashion group Mango appointed Katarzyna Niemirowicz Majtas as Chief Retail Officer amid plans to open 15 UK stores in 2026. The news followed Mango opening its second Chester location as part of its accelerating UK expansion plans.
Puma hires former Nike exec to lead global sports marketing
Puma appointed former Nike executive Steve Cecchini as its new Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing, effective 1 October, reporting directly to CEO Arthur Hoeld. Cecchini will lead Puma’s sports marketing organisation and oversee partnerships with athletes, teams and federations as the sportswear brand works to strengthen its position in global sport.
Dr. Martens appoints former Burberry VP as Global Customer Director
Dr. Martens appointed former Burberry Global Vice President Katie Morton as its new Global Customer Director. Morton joined with more than two decades of experience spanning consumer, omnichannel and business transformation across fashion, luxury and retail, including 17 years at Burberry.
Dr. Martens bolsters product team with two senior hires
Dr. Martens appointed Isadora Versiani as Global Product Design Director and Nadia Svensson as Global Merchandising and Product Director, effective from November 2026. The appointments mark a “significant investment in world-class merchandising and design talent” as Dr. Martens enters its next phase of growth.
ASOS appoints Law Roach as first Stylist in Residence
British online fashion retailer ASOS appointed Law Roach to the newly created role of Stylist in Residence, extending its customer proposition beyond product discovery into practical styling advice. The creative partnership began on 19 September, with Roach working alongside ASOS teams to shape the retailer’s fashion perspective across seasonal campaigns and styling content.
Emporio Armani names Dario Vitale as Creative Director
Italian fashion group Armani appointed Dario Vitale as Creative Director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories, becoming the first designer from outside the Armani family to take creative charge of one of its lines.
Jigsaw appoints former Victoria Beckham and Matches designer Melanie Walker
Jigsaw appointed Melanie Walker as Design Director, placing the former Victoria Beckham and Matches designer in charge of its product and creative direction. Walker joined the British fashion brand as it builds on an 18% year-on-year increase in spring/summer 2026 sales and prepares to launch through the Nordstrom and Macy’s marketplaces in the US.
Glenn Martens to leave Diesel after final Milan Fashion Week show
Glenn Martens left Diesel after presenting the OTB-owned denim brand’s spring/summer 2027 collection at Milan Fashion Week on 22 September. He will remain at the group as Creative Director of Maison Margiela.