Matalan has lost another key executive. The value fashion/lifestyle retailer’s chief customer and omnichannel officer, Ali Jones, has left following the departure of CEO Jo Whitfield last October and chief trading officer Ben Smith, who departed last week.
During her Matalan tenure, Jones was responsible for leading the retailer’s marketing, e-commerce and international teams, establishing the new unit “to connect all customer touch points and provide further clarity and accountability for its customers”.
Jones joined Matalan in April 2023 from the Co-op Group, where she was customer and community director between 2018-2022. Prior to the Co-op, she held senior brand and marketing roles at Woolworths Australia, Debenhams, M&S, Next and Arcadia Group. Notably, she was marketing director at Debenhams for almost 11 years (August 1999-May 2010).
In a short release, a Matalan spokesperson said: “Ali Jones… has left her role with the business. We thank Ali for her contribution to Matalan and wish her all the best for the future.”
Whitfield, also a former Co-op exec, departed abruptly before the important Christmas trading period and her 18-month role is currently being overseen by Matalan chair Karl-Heinz Holland, who is executive chair until a successor is appointed.
Smith joined Matalan in March 2023 as interim buying and merchandising director and became chief trading officer two months later.
In its most recent results, published in June last year, Matalan reported a 6% drop in revenues, while EBITDA jumped 92% year-on-year to £53m. It had also cut pre-tax losses by 44% to £60 million in the year to 24 February.
Canadian design company Arc’teryx announced on Thursday the appointment of Matt Bolte as chief merchandising officer, as well as Marissa Pardini as general manager, and Ben Stubbington as creative director of the company’s Veilance brand.
Bolte brings nearly 35 years of retail leadership experience across global markets to Arc’teryx. He previously served as a partner at ThenWhat, focusing on brand consulting and launching innovative apparel brands. Prior to that, he had a 17-year tenure at Nike including key roles in product and merchandising across men’s performance and sportswear categories in multiple regions.
In his new position, Bolte will oversee the strategic direction of merchandising, planning, and business development across all product categories.
“Matt’s deep expertise in executing complex, global merchandising strategies and extensive industry experience will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our leadership position in both our technical outdoor and premium apparel businesses,” said Stuart Haselden, CEO of Arc’teryx.
“Over the past year, the merchandising team has undergone a transformative journey. With Matt’s deep understanding of merchandising and his passion for the Arc’teryx brand, he is an excellent fit for this role.”
Meanwhile, Pardini joins Arc’teryx from Vans, where she most recently served as chief product and merchandising officer. In this role, she oversaw the global apparel and footwear product functions, helping drive Vans’ direct-to-consumer sales past the $1 billion mark. Pardini’s experience also includes leadership roles at The North Face and Bloomingdale’s.
As general manager of Veilance, Pardini will lead the brand’s global strategy, ensuring continued alignment with its mission to deliver precision-engineered apparel for urban environments.
Lastly, Stubbington brings nearly 20 years of design leadership experience to Veilance. He previously served as senior vice president of design for Lululemon, where he oversaw men’s, men’s and women’s Lab, and overarching creative direction for the business. Prior to that, Stubbington was creative director for Theory’s men’s division for nearly eight years. He is also a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Stubbington will oversee Veilance’s creative direction, shaping its product offerings and brand identity.
“The addition of Marissa and Ben to our Veilance team marks a pivotal moment in our journey as we double down on our commitment to innovation and excellence with this unique line in the Arc’teryx collection,” added Haselden. “Their combined leadership and innovative thinking will be instrumental in elevating Veilance as a leader in the performance luxury space.”
French luxury group Kering announced on Thursday it had sold 100% of its Italian The Mall Luxury Outlets to U.S. real estate investor Simon, generating some €350 million in net proceeds as part of a wider plan to restructure its real estate portfolio.
Kering’s brands will maintain a presence in the two sites, located near Florence and Sanremo, the company said.
E-commerce firm ESW announced on Thursday the appointment of Tonia Luykx as chief revenue officer.
Luykx replaces Martim Avillez Oliveira, and will be based in ESW’s Dublin headquarters. She will report directly to ESW chief executive officer, Eric Eichmann.
With more than 20 years of expertise in sales and leadership, Luykx joins ESW from Xeneta, a freight intelligence and analytics platform, where she served as CRO. Prior to Xeneta, the executive held positions of increasing importance at Sift, the AI-powered security platform, where she was most recently vice president of global sales and interim CRO. She was also head of Amazon Pay Ireland for Amazon Pay UK and Ireland, and head of strategic accounts for Dropbox in the UK and Ireland.
Earlier in her career she was country sales manager for Google Enterprise Ireland, and Microsoft Dynamics sales manager for Logica UK. She began her career at SAP Business Development.
“Tonia’s extensive international experience leading strategic planning, marketing, customer success and sales for some of the world’s top businesses makes her the perfect candidate to fill this role,” said Eichmann.
“Her leadership skills and deep knowledge of enterprise solutions encompassing shipping, payments, fraud and customer service will benefit the entire organization as we expand into new business verticals and markets.”
ESW offers brands solutions that reduce cross-border complexity, localizing the online shopping experience to increase conversions and loyalty while also taking on the complications of doing business in international markets.