New Converse CEO named
Nike has announced the appointment of Jared Carver as the new president and CEO of Converse. The move is part of a larger leadership shuffle within the company.
Carver, who has been with Converse for over 12 years, will succeed Scott Uzzell, who will transition internally to Nike, as the VP/GM of North America.
In his new position, Carver will report to Nike president and CEO, John Donahoe. According to Donahoe, the leadership change is part of a move to streamline the company’s focus on product, brand storytelling, and marketplace.
“Carver is a consumer-first leader who brings more than a decade of leadership at Converse. For the past four years, he has served as the VP/GM for Converse’s North America business, where he unlocked strong growth in the brand’s largest geography,” Nike wrote in a press release.
He began the role on June 1
Bally appoints new design director
Swiss luxury brand Bally has announced Simone Bellotti as its new design director. The appointment comes two weeks after Rhuigi Villaseñor departed from the role of creative director.
Bellotti, who joined the company in October 2022, worked at fashion houses including Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, and Gianfranco Ferré.
“It is a great honour to be appointed Bally’s design director and trusted with contributing to Bally’s extraordinary legacy,” Bellotti said.
“The House’s unique Swiss heritage, coupled with its beautiful history rooted in a pioneering spirit and relentless pursuit of excellence, is a powerful inspiration.”
Bally CEO Nicolas Girott said Bellotti already had a deep familiarity with the brand.
“[His] passion and appreciation for Bally’s heritage, coupled with his extensive industry experience, will enable us to continue to execute on our vision of creating timeless and elegant products that uphold our legacy of craft and stand the test of time,” Girott said.
Leadership changes at Farfetch’s New Guards Group
Global luxury fashion house Farfetch has appointed Cristiano Fagnani as the CEO of Off-White, as part of a company-wide leadership restructure.
Fagnani will remain responsible for NGG++, the division within New Guards Group (NGG) that manages the Reebok business. Authentic Brands Group, which owns Reebok, appointed NGG as its core operating partner in Europe in 2022.
Meanwhile, NGG co-founders Davide De Giglio and Andrea Grilli will step down from their roles as CEO of NGG, and executive director and Off-White CEO, respectively, while Stephanie Phair, who is the group president of Farfetch, has also been appointed chairperson of NGG.
José Neves, founder, CEO and chair of Farfetch, thanked De Giglio and Grilli for their leadership, and for building a strong team of successors to continue driving the strategy and operations of NGG. “I am confident in the continued success of NGG,” Neves said.
NGG manages the design, production and distribution for global brands, including Palm Angels, Off-White and Reebok. The company was acquired by Farfetch in 2019.
Tesco director to join online grocery retailer Ocado
Tesco’s grocery category director Amit Chitnis is moving to online grocery retailer Ocado as chief commercial officer.
Starting later this year, Chitnis – who is reported to have worked at Tesco for almost a decade – takes over the role from Rose Price, who is retiring from Ocado after joining the company in 2010.
Chitnis worked at management consultancy Bain & Company before joining Tesco as head of group strategy in 2014. Meanwhile, Price initially retired in September 2021, but was brought back on an interim basis.
The appointment follows Ocado’s recent decision to let go of 40 head office staff, as part of an “ongoing drive for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.”
