MajorsNov 19, 2021
Swarovski Adds Non-Family to BoardMajorsJun 22, 2022
Swarovski Names First Non-Family CEO
Retail veteran Alexis Nasard will step in as CEO on July 4.
Alexis Nasard, who has held various roles in retail for more than 30 years, is the first non-family CEO in Swarovski’s 127-year history.
Maennedorf, Switzerland—Swarovski has a new CEO, and for the first time in its 127-year history, it’s not a family member.
Retail veteran Alexis Nasard will take on the role of CEO July 4.
“His most important task will be to anchor the Swarovski brand firmly in its iconic luxury heritage and lead the transformation of the Swarovski business along the full value chain for scale and profitable growth,” said the company.
Previously, Nasard was a senior business advisor at McKinsey & Company.
He was also the CEO of Kantar, a data analytics and brand consulting company, but left the position after four months.
Prior to that, he was the CEO of Swiss footwear brand Bata from 2016 until 2020, and before that, held various roles at Heineken, including global chief marketing officer, as per his LinkedIn profile.
Nasard has been in the retail industry for more than 30 years, including 17 years as a general manager at consumer goods giant Proctor and Gamble.
“With the appointment of [the] first external CEO, we are taking an important further step in establishing a sustainable governance model,” said Luisa Delgado, chair of Swarovski’s board of directors.
“With Alexis Nasard as the new CEO, we are very pleased to have been able to select a highly experienced and transformational leadership personality who is capable of leading Swarovski in the affirmation of its iconic luxury heritage and through its business transformation.”
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Retail veteran Alexis Nasard will take on the role of CEO July 4.
“His most important task will be to anchor the Swarovski brand firmly in its iconic luxury heritage and lead the transformation of the Swarovski business along the full value chain for scale and profitable growth,” said the company.
Previously, Nasard was a senior business advisor at McKinsey & Company.
He was also the CEO of Kantar, a data analytics and brand consulting company, but left the position after four months.
Prior to that, he was the CEO of Swiss footwear brand Bata from 2016 until 2020, and before that, held various roles at Heineken, including global chief marketing officer, as per his LinkedIn profile.
Nasard has been in the retail industry for more than 30 years, including 17 years as a general manager at consumer goods giant Proctor and Gamble.
“With the appointment of [the] first external CEO, we are taking an important further step in establishing a sustainable governance model,” said Luisa Delgado, chair of Swarovski’s board of directors.
“With Alexis Nasard as the new CEO, we are very pleased to have been able to select a highly experienced and transformational leadership personality who is capable of leading Swarovski in the affirmation of its iconic luxury heritage and through its business transformation.”
Nasard said he’s excited to join the company and take on the challenge of leading the storied brand.
“Swarovski fascinates me as a luxury brand, a cultural icon, and as a fully integrated business model, with its unique positioning in the world of jewelry, design, fashion, stage, and screen,” said Nasar.
“From day 1, I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues around the world and partnering with Giovanna Engelbert, the Swarovski creative director, to implement the joint transformation plan to bring joy and delight to Swarovski customers worldwide.”
Swarovski’s executive team has been largely a family affair since the company’s founding, but its board welcomed five non-family members in November 2021.
Nasard’s appointment follows a period of upheaval at the company.
In December 2021, Nadja Swarovski, the great-great-granddaughter of company founder Daniel Swarovski, announced she was leaving the company.
Her departure was the latest of several management changes that had happened at the company.
Swarovski first announced a restructuring in May 2020, which included appointing Robert Buchbauer, also a great-great-grandchild of the company’s founder, as CEO.
Family member and executive Markus Langes-Swarovski left the board in 2020.
In October 2021, Buchbauer stepped down and Mathias Margreiter, fellow board member and Swarovski family member, stepped down as chief financial officer.
Since Buchbauer’s departure, Michele Molon has been interim CEO. He will take on the new role of chief commercial officer.
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