New CEO for Belgian lingerie group Van de Velde
The Belgian lingerie group has parted ways with its CEO Erwin Van Laethem.
Van Laethem took charge of the Euronext-listed Van de Velde group and its labels, PrimaDonna, Marie Jo and Andres Sarda, two years ago, and oversaw a boost in the group’s digital capabilities.
“We would like to thank Erwin Van Laethem for his contribution to the digitalisation of our business and the improvements [he introduced] in our operations (…) The change we announced is the next step in putting our brand experience and consumers centre stage,” said group President Herman Van de Velde in a press release.
Van de Velde has appointed Marleen Vaesen to replace Van Laethem. She knows the group well, having been a member of Van de Velde’s executive committee since 2012, as well as being the CEO of fruit and vegetable supplier Greenyard, a post she stepped down from last February. From May 2018, Vaesen is also a member of the executive committee of cinema chain Kinepolis.
After Van de Velde’s profitability was eroded in 2017, despite a slight increase in revenue, in the first half of 2018 the group recorded a 3.9% sales downturn over the same period in the previous year, down to €114 million. The group attributed the downturn chiefly to a negative wholesale performance. To steady its course, Van de Velde has invested in a new e-commerce site that it hopes will drive the group’s international expansion.
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