JD CEO resigns, CFO promoted 

 Tiyashi Datta and Sophie Yu of Reuters

China’s e-commerce giant JD.com said on Thursday its chief executive Xu Lei will step down, with the company’s chief financial officer taking on the role.

Xu Lei, who has officially been CEO for a year, said on a call with analysts after the company reported first quarter earnings that he had resigned to spend more time with his family.

He will immediately begin the process of handing over CEO responsibilities to Sandy Xu Ran, who will be the company’s third CEO and the first female to hold the position.

Xu Lei has been with JD.com for more than a decade and after his retirement will serve as the first chairman of the advisory council of the company.

Before joining JD in 2018, Sandy Xu was an audit partner and spent nearly 20 years with Pricewaterhousecoopers in China and the US.

Guzman y Gomez CEO steps down

Sarah Stowe

Guzman y Gomez founder and CEO, Steven Marks, is stepping back from day-to-day operations and is on the hunt for a new CEO.

Marks is a major shareholder in the business, and a board member. A statement from the company indicates he will remain involved in the business, harnessing his skills to focus on brand and food, and helping drive company culture and growth.

GYG said that Marks’ decision has the support of shareholders and staff.

Marks said in a statement, “Many people know that it’s always been my dream for GYG to IPO and whenever that happens, I want to ensure I have a world class and experienced team in place to lead GYG well into the future.

“This is simply the next phase in GYG’s evolution as we continue to attack a massive global opportunity of delivering fresh, clean food to the fast food industry.”

Marks built the business from a single store in Newtown in 2006 to its current footprint of 170 stores. In 2020, GYG launched into the US market, following international growth in Singapore and Japan, with American-born Marks taking the brand back to his home country.

In October 2022, the Mexican fast food chain was valued at $1.5 billion when Aware Super led a secondary share sale in the business, supported by Point King Capital and Athletic Ventures. It was the third consecutive investment in the Mexican food chain.

Megan Welch appointed new Kathmandu CEO

Rakshnna Pattabiraman 

Multibrand outdoor apparel retailer KMD Brands has appointed Megan Welch as CEO of Kathmandu.

Welch has extensive global brand and product experience, and joins Kathmandu from Crocs where she served as senior VP and GM for Asia Pacific, based in Singapore.

Michael Daly, Group CEO and MD of KMD Brands, welcomed Welch and said she has a “proven track record for growth and strong international experience”.

“Megan’s multi-channel expertise across retail, wholesale and digital makes her the ideal leader for Kathmandu as we continue to grow the business and expand our global presence.”

Welch said that the brand has a “strong heritage and reputation for quality, sustainability and innovation”.

She will be based in Christchurch, New Zealand, at Kathmandu’s head office, and takes over from Daly who has been caretaking the role in addition to his own.

New GM at The Aje Collective

Aron Lewin

The Aje Collective has appointed Zara Wong as its general manager for brand and content.

Wong – who previously served as head of content and editorial strategy at Mecca, following almost seven years at Vogue Australia – will start in the role in June.

She will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of Aje Collective’s imagery and tone of voice, and will work with the brand visuals, creative and marketing, and executive team as it establishes the foundations of its brand.

“With my experience that combines editorial, digital and retail, I am incredibly excited to join the growing team and be a part of Aje Collective’s future vision,” Wong said.

The appointment follows the restructure of the brand’s leadership team, with Norris and Forest moving into new roles – as group CEO and creative director at large respectively – and the appointment of new CEOs for Aje Collective’s three operating divisions: Aje, Aje Athletica and beauty brand Ikkari.