LONDON — Michael Ward has been named chairman of Walpole, succeeding Ben Hughes, deputy chief executive officer of the Financial Times.
Ward, who has served as managing director of Harrods since 2005, will take over the alliance of British luxury brands immediately.
Walpole counts more than 170 brands as members, including Aston Martin, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Mulberry and Redman Whiteley Dixon. It is the British equivalent of Italy’s Altagamma and France’s Comité Colbert.
Ward has been a Walpole board director since November 2012. From 2014 to 2016 he represented Walpole members as president of the European Creative and Cultural Industries Alliance.
“I look forward to working closely with Walpole ceo Michelle Emmerson, the board and our members to continue to fulfill our mission to promote, protect and develop the British luxury industry both at home and overseas,” he stated.
You May Also Like
Walpole said Hughes decided to step down after completing a four-year tenure.
“I’m very proud of all the results that have been achieved at Walpole, which is now well positioned to support the development and growth of Britain’s luxury brands,” said Hughes.
In addition to serving as a lobby group for British luxury, Walpole also runs the annual mentoring programs Brands of Tomorrow, Crafted and the Programme in Luxury Management at London Business School.