Scotch & Soda boosts transformation with key leadership appointments

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 30, 2020

Amsterdam-based fashion brand Scotch & Soda has announced several appointments to boost its management team and “support recently-named CEO Frederick Lukoff in the next phase of the brand’s global development”.

Karis Durmer is to become CEO Americas. Based in New York and reporting to Lukoff, she will be responsible for North and South America. She joins in April from luxury label Altuzarra where she’s been CEO for the last eight years. But her experience also includes time spent in finance at investment banking firm Bear Stearns and in publishing, at Conde Nast and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She then launched Make Meaning, a children’s retail activity concept, before joining Altuzarra.

Meanwhile, Stephane Jaspar has been named Chief Marketing Officer, and Ludovic Le Gourrierec Chief Commercial Officer, the latter role having been newly created. Also reporting directly to Lukoff, they’ll both be based in Amsterdam.

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Jaspar worked for Stella McCartney for 17 years and has also held positions at Miramax Films and most recently at luxury retailer The Webster. He’ll "develop and implement all aspects of marketing and communications initiatives worldwide, as well as overseeing the brand identity, storytelling, and consumer experience across all ready-to-wear and licensing lines”. 

Le Gourrierec has over 25 years’ experience in the fashion industry and has held commercial roles at John Galliano and Lanvin, also leading the menswear business for Yves Saint Laurent and most recently Stella McCartney for the last four years. He’ll oversee retail, wholesale, e-commerce and franchise across all regions, excluding the Americas. 

The company said the roles reflect its “growth ambitions for the future”. 

Scotch & Soda has been transforming its business in recent periods and direct-to-consumer retail channels now account for more than half of revenues. 

It said it’s continuing the acceleration of its global retail footprint in new markets, “with a focus on the e-commerce channel with an omnichannel experience in mind, as well as developing existing and new categories to the brand’s product offering”.

Lukoff said the company has “many exciting projects coming up” and added that “the brand is uniquely positioned across the industry to deliver on the promise of the spirit and the liberal values of Amsterdam based on tolerance, freedom and individuality. The city is way ahead of its times and those values are important today, particularly in a world where they are under attack.”