company is reported to have emailed staff impacted by downsizing, suspending its recruiting process and several job offers for regional positions have been rescinded.  The layoffs are reported to result from the increasing inflation and high interest rates, which have forced the company to “rationalise its e-commerce business”.  The Southeast Asian firm also plans to shutter its early-stage operations in Spain, after exiting France and India last March. The Indian withdrawal came after the government imposed a ban on Sea Group’s ‘Garena Free Fire’ game together with 53 Chinese apps. However, the company said the shutdown was due to “global market uncertainties”.  Levi Strauss appoints new South Asia leader Amisha Jain has been named as Levi Strauss’ new senior VP and MD of South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA).  Jain replaces previous VP Sanjeev Mohanty, who is now Levi Strauss & Co’s senior VP and MD of the US and Canada. Jain will be in charge of the company’s operations in SAMEA, as well as its growth and success in Asia and around the world. The new VP has more than 20 years of experience in physical, digital, consumer goods, and technology retail. She was previously the CEO of Zivame, an Indian intimate-wear brand and platform, where she was known as a transformational leader and turnaround specialist. She also held roles across multiple functions including sales, operations and strategy at organisations like McKinsey & Company, Nike and Arvind Group at the starting stage of her career.  “Amisha’s years leading digital and physical retail businesses, her track record of delivering results while connecting with consumers and her passion for innovation is a combination that will set our SAMEA cluster up for accelerated growth,” said Seth Ellison, executive VP and chief commercial officer at Levi Strauss & Co. MyTheresa appoints Asia-Pacific president Luxury e-commerce platform MyTheresa has appointed Steven Xu as its president for China and Asia Pacific as part of the brand’s expansion strategy in the region. Xu’s appointment will take effect on July 1. In his new role, Xu will oversee MyTheresa’s consumer-facing activities in China and the Asia Pacific region. “There is huge growth potential in the region as luxury consumers continue to shift online,” Xu said. Prior to joining MyTheresa, Xu served at Ralph Lauren as VP of digital marketing and e-commerce Apac, with a particular focus on China. He previously worked at British American Tobacco as head of digital activation, focusing on digital transformation in the Asia Pacific and Middle Eastern markets. “Steven brings a wealth of digital experience,” said Gareth Locke, chief growth officer & MD at MyTheresa. “The Asia Pacific and particularly China is an important growth market for MyTheresa. Building a local team there is crucial for us to make consumers even more aware of our unique value proposition and to deliver the first-class shopping experience that our customers expect.” “Having Steven join shows our clear commitment to the sophisticated Chinese luxury shopper and their demands,” said Michael Kliger, CEO of MyTheresa.