Alexander McQueen appoints new CEO from YSL

Long-standing Alexander McQueen CEO Jonthan Akeroyd is to leave house and will be replaced by Emmanuel Gintzburger, formerly of sister house Yves Saint Laurent, parent group Kering has announced today.

Gintzburger, who was worldwide retail and wholesale director at YSL, will assume stewardship of Alexander McQueen on 9 May while Akeroyd leaves to “pursue interests outside of the group”. Gintzburger’s mission, the company has said, will be to “pursue the brand’s global expansion and accelerate its organic growth”.

Kering thanked Akeroyd for his 12-year tenure which included the difficult period following the passing of the brand’s founder Alexander “Lee” McQueen who took his own life in 2010. McQueen was succeeded as creative director by his long-standing right-hand woman Sarah Burton.

French national Gintzburger, 42, was wholesale director at Yves Saint Laurent from 2011-2016, prior to which he was Europe retail director for two years. He began his career with Danone in 1997, moving to Louis Vuitton in Hong Kong, then beauty retailer Sephora after which there followed a stint at Lanvin before he joined Yves Saint Laurent. He will report to Grita Loebsack, Kering’s CEO for Luxury.

Alexander McQueen himself is to be the subject of a new biopic which is currently in development.