Matchesfashion names Paolo de Cesare CEO

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 21, 2021

Physical-to-digital luxury retailer Matchesfashion has named a new CEO, six months after the departure of its previous leader Ajay Kavan. The new chief executive is Paolo de Cesare, who had run Paris-based department store group Printemps until March 2020.

After Kavan left in March, non-executive director Maureen Chiquet had taken on the role of executive chairwoman, as the UK-based company looked for a new chief. She’ll stay in the hot seat for a while longer before stepping back into her non-exec role as de Cesare will be starting “later this year”.

So what does the new CEO bring to the table? He has over 30 years of expertise in the luxury and retail sectors, including 12 years as President and CEO of the Printemps Group. From 2007 to 2020, he led it through a major transformation, upgrading its stores and customer proposition and refocusing on luxury brands.

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Before that he was at Procter & Gamble for 24 years in various management positions, including General Manager and President of the Cosmetics Division (Japan) and Global President of Skin Care and Fine Fragrances (Switzerland). He worked across Italy, Belgium, the UK, Japan, the US, and Switzerland in his time there.

Additionally, from 2016 to 2020, he was President of the International Group of Department Stores, the largest industry association of global department stores.

De Cesare said he’s “confident that, with the rapid transformation and growth of the luxury market, we can continue to strengthen our position as a fashion pioneer, thereby deepening our historic brand relationships and becoming the most exciting luxury destination for our customer”.

Meanwhile Chiquet added that the business is “incredibly fortunate to welcome someone of Paolo’s calibre. As a CEO, his record of transforming Le Printemps into a true luxury institution, as well as his many years as a President at Procter & Gamble, the world’s biggest consumer goods company, make this an excellent appointment for the business”.