NEW YORK — Ralph Lauren Corp. named Geoffroy van Raemdonck group president, Europe.
Van Raemdonck was most recently chief executive officer of St. John Knits Inc., a role he took on in July 2013 and officially left on Nov. 6. Before St. John, the executive was Louis Vuitton’s president, South Europe, and prior, served as acting president at Vuitton’s North American division. He also worked in senior positions at Limited Brands and The Boston Consulting Group.
At Ralph Lauren, he succeeds John Hooks, who has served in the role for the last three years.
“John’s leadership has been central to the success of our business in Europe and I want to thank him for his dedication and commitment in supporting the growth of our brand within the region,” said Lauren, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Over the next couple of months, John will work closely with Geoffroy in order to ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the European organization.”
Van Raemdonck is based at Lauren’s European headquarters in Geneva, and will report to Ralph Lauren president and chief operating officer Jacki Nemerov. “I am confident that under Geoffroy’s direction, we will continue to develop our European business and build on our strengths as a premier brand in this important market,” Nemerov said.