Pandora has brought its leadership transition forward to January. The Danish jewellery brand announced on Monday that the Spanish executive Berta de Pablos-Barbier, until now the company’s chief marketing officer, will assume the role of CEO on January 1, taking over from Alexander Lacik. The company announced this change in leadership in September and it had initially been scheduled for completion in March, at its annual general meeting.
Berta de Pablos-Barbier will take over as CEO of Pandora on 1 January 2026. – Pandora
Pandora has opted to accelerate this transition thanks to “a smooth handover by the current CEO, Alexander Lacik, and the appointment of Jennie Farmer as the new chief marketing officer,” the jewellery brand said in a statement.
In this regard, the chairman of Pandora’s board of directors, Peter Ruzicka, commented: “The handover from Alexander to Berta has been exceptionally smooth. With the addition of Jennie Farmer as CMO, we are pleased to be able to carry out the leadership transition faster than anticipated.”
The Spanish executive Pablos-Barbier, for her part, said it would be “an honour” to lead Pandora in its next stage.
“In recent years we have consolidated a strong brand with a unique position in the accessible jewellery market. My immediate priority will be to navigate the current market turbulence as we prepare to take advantage of our untapped opportunities as a comprehensive jewellery brand and drive long-term growth. We are building a bigger Pandora,” she added.
The current CEO, Lacik, will retire after nearly seven years as chief executive and president of the brand, although he will remain with Pandora as a special adviser to the board of directors and the executive committee until the company’s annual general meeting, which will be held on March 11 next year.
On Lacik’s contribution, Ruzicka thanked him for “his exceptional leadership.”
“Since his arrival, Pandora’s revenue has grown by 45% and total shareholder return has exceeded 200%. He leaves the company with a solid foundation and significant growth potential,” he concluded.
Starting next year, Jennie Farmer will replace Pablos-Barbier as chief marketing officer. Currently senior vice-president of brand experience and channels, she joined Pandora in January 2025 and has more than 25 years of experience with luxury and FMCG brands, from Procter & Gamble to LVMH.
“Pandora is an iconic brand with a track record of redefining the jewellery industry. I look forward to building on the strong direction set by Berta and driving bold, creative marketing that connects with consumers across all our segments and channels,” she said.
Louis Vuitton has named Grammy Award–winning artist Future as its newest ambassador, deepening the maison’s ongoing commitment to celebrating talent across cultural landscapes.
Louis Vuitton names Future as its newest ambassador. – Louis Vuitton
The Atlanta-born rapper, producer and composer continues to dominate the global music landscape. Most recently, he released back-to-back chart-topping albums, “We Don’t Trust You” and “We Still Don’t Trust You”, which became an international phenomenon and further cemented Future’s status as a cultural trailblazer. Over the course of his career, Future has earned 11 number-one albums and multiple chart-leading singles.
“Future embodies the core values of Louis Vuitton, including creativity, artistry, and a pioneering spirit that resonates with international audiences,” the maison said in a statement. “His unique style and creative vision make him an invaluable addition to the Louis Vuitton family.”
It’s not the first time Future collaborates with Louis Vuitton. He attended Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Spring–Summer 2026 show in Paris at the invitation of Pharrell Williams, a longtime friend and creative collaborator. Earlier this year, Future also appeared at the 2025 Met Gala, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” wearing a custom Louis Vuitton grey quarter-zip ensemble layered with a tie, designed by Williams.
Rent the Runway announced on Monday sales for the third quarter rose 15.4% to $87.6 million, with the U.S. rental platform clocking growth across its subscriber base.
Rent the Runway
The New York-based firm said ending active subscribers grew 12.4% to 148,916 during the three months, and average active subscribers totalled 147,645, up 12.9% on the prior-year period.
Meanwhile, total subscriber numbers lifted 6.1% to 185,166 during the quarter ending October 31.
In line with strong sales growth, the company reported a net income of $76.5 million, as compared to a loss of $18.9 million in the third quarter last year.
“This year we’ve repositioned ourselves for sustained growth in the category,” said Jennifer Hyman, co-founder and CEO of Rent the Runway.
“Not only did we execute operationally on our stated goals to return to our customer-obsessed origins, reinvigorate our brand, and drive double-digit growth in subscribers; but we also restructured our balance sheet, closing the recapitalization transactions in October that offer improved financial flexibility to better position us for continued growth.”
Earlier this year, Rent the Runway said it will hand over a controlling stake in the company as part of a plan to cut debt and grow.
The deal, with lender Aranda Principal Strategies and other partners, will wipe more than $240 million of debt from Rent the Runway’s balance sheet, according to an emailed statement released in August.
Looking ahead, Rent the Runway said it forecasts revenue of between $323.1 million and $325.1 million for the full-year.
Elisabetta Caldera, 55, has been named global chief people and organization officer for Chanel Ltd., succeeding Claire Isnard, 64, starting next month, the company told Bloomberg News in a statement.
Isnard is retiring after more than 17 years at the group, which had a workforce of around 38,400 employees last year. Caldera will join Chanel’s leadership team, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Leena Nair, and be based in London.
Caldera spent more than four years as global chief human resources officer at Aegon Ltd. where she was also part of the insurer’s executive committee. The Italian executive previously spent 17 years at Vodafone Group Plc in various HR roles until 2021 when she joined Aegon.
Under CEO Nair, the former head of HR at Unilever Plc, Chanel has been rebuilding the roster of top managers at the company as an older guard retires.
Chanel, known for its No. 5 fragrance, is privately owned by the billionaire brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer whose fortunes are estimated at about $43 billion each, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The company, founded in Paris but headquartered in London, reports its financial performance once a year, generally around late May. Revenue fell 4.3% to $18.7 billion in 2024 on a comparative basis with operating profit sliding by almost a third partly due to heavy advertising spending and a rise in hiring.