Bluebell Group has appointed two new leaders, Sharmila Murat and Emmanuel de Place, to its top management teams. 

Murat will join Bluebell Group as group chief commercial officer. She will report directly to the group’s president & CEO, Ashley Micklewright, in this newly created regional position, and will play a critical role in creating and executing the company’s strategic direction for the coming years. 

With over 25 years of strategic, operational, and investment expertise in both the US and the Middle East, Murat formerly worked as the chief investment officer at Chalhoub Group, where she was instrumental in the creation and launch of new brands and concepts.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel de Place will take over as Bluebell Korea’s president and CEO, reporting to the group’s president & CEO. He spent most of his career at Lagardère Travel Retail, first in Canada and then in the US, before moving on to manage the rapidly expanding Central European market. 

Place has been the regional CEO for Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore, since 2010, where he has led the development of the group’s luxury and fashion businesses, particularly in Greater China, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, forging new partnerships with both brands and local operators, shaping new business models, and developing innovative retail concepts and customer experiences. 

Bluebell Group says that the appointment of these leaders will boost Bluebell’s strategic capabilities and position in the Asian retail industry.