MATCHESFASHION names former Printemps chief Paolo de Cesare as new CEO

MATCHESFASHION has named former Printemps Group president Paolo de Cesare as its new CEO and he will be taking up the position later this year.

He replaces Ajay Kavan, a former executive of Amazon, who left the British multi-channel luxury retailer in March after just a year in the role.

A veteran of luxury retail, de Cesare brings more than 30 years of experience to MATCHESFASHION. He spent 12 years as President and CEO of the Printemps Group, the upscale French department store group, and before that spent 24 years at Procter & Gamble. While at Printemps he led the group through a major transformation, upgrading its stores and customer proposition and refocusing on luxury brands.

“MATCHESFASHION has an incredible history and DNA, and is driving digitization of the luxury journey for its global customers. I am excited to join a business that is renowned for its unique fashion point of view and heritage, both of which have underpinned the company’s success to date. I am confident that, with the rapid transformation and growth of the luxury market, we can continue to strengthen our position as a fashion pioneer, thereby deepening our historic brand relationships and becoming the most exciting luxury destination for our customer,” de Cesare said.

Executive chairwoman Maureen Chiquet, formerly of Chanel, has been leading the MATCHESFASION business while it found a replacement for Kavan. She said of the appointment of de Cesare: “I’ve immensely enjoyed my time as executive chairwoman of MATCHESFASHION, and it has reaffirmed to me just how innovative and talented this business and its people really are. We are incredibly fortunate to welcome someone of Paolo’s calibre.

"As a CEO, his record of transforming Le Printemps into a true luxury institution, as well as his many years as a President at Procter & Gamble, the world’s biggest consumer goods company, make this an excellent appointment for the business. His arrival marks an exciting chapter in the company’s journey, and I look forward to supporting him as I return to my position on the Board.”

MATCHESFASHION was founded more than 30 years ago by Tom and Ruth Chapman as a single boutique in Wimbledon. It is now one of the best-known multi-brand global retailers of luxury fashion with more than 450 brands on its site. It retains a physical store presence and in 2018 took the wraps off a luxury townhouse shopping experience and broadcasting hub in Mayfair's Carlos Place.

The Chapmans sold the business to Apax Partners at the end of 2017 for a reported £800m and remain shareholders. Tom Hall, a partner at Apax Partners and a member of the MATCHESFASHION board, said of the appointment of de Cesare: “We are delighted to welcome Paolo to MATCHESFASHION as CEO. His understanding of luxury, his energy and enthusiasm, and his long and varied experience as a senior executive around the globe make him ideally suited for the role. We are very much looking forward to working with him.

"We also thank Maureen Chiquet deeply for the role she played as Executive Chair over the past six months. She successfully pushed forward a number of important initiatives, at a key transition time for the business. We look forward enormously to working with her, once again, in her role as Non-Executive Director on the board.”