Geoffroy van Raemdonck, a former executive for Ralph Lauren, has been named the new CEO of Neiman Marcus Group, replacing the retiring Karen Katz. He had been group president EMEA and headed up global travel retail for Ralph Lauren.
Katz will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors and work closely with van Raemdonck through the transition process.
At Ralph Lauren, van Raemdonck led the transformation of its brands across full and half-price stores, both wholesale and digital. Neiman Marcus is hoping he can work some of that same magic for a luxury chain with nearly $5 billion in debt that was reportedly passed over in 2017 by Hudson’s Bay Co., and decided against a planned IPO.
Prior to Ralph Lauren van Raemdonck was CEO of St. John Knits International Inc., and served in a variety of global leadership roles at Louis Vuitton from 2008 to 2013.
“Neiman Marcus manages one of the most iconic brand portfolios in fashion retailing and I am excited to build on the great foundation Karen created during her tenure,” van Raemdonck said in a press release. “I look forward to working closely with the leadership team, the company’s 14,000 employees globally and our luxury brand partners as we continue to innovate and engage our loyal customers in new ways.”