Dive Brief:
- Pandora’s current chief marketing officer, Berta de Pablos-Barbier, will become the company’s next CEO on Jan. 1, some two months earlier than when the news was first announced in September. She is replacing current CEO Alexander Lacik, who plans to retire, according to a press release.
- Prior to joining Pandora in 2024 as chief marketing officer, de Pablos-Barbier was president and CEO of LVMH’s champagne brands Moët & Chandon, Dom Perignon and Mercier. She has also held positions as chief growth officer of Mars Wrigley, chief marketing officer of Lacoste and vice president of marketing and communications at Kering-owned jeweler Boucheron.
- Lacik, with the brand for almost seven years, will stay on as a special adviser to the board until the company’s annual meeting on March 11.
Dive Insight:
Pandora accelerated the CEO transition “following a seamless handover” between the outgoing and incoming executives, as well as the appointment of Jennie Farmer as chief marketing officer.
Farmer, who is the senior vice president of brand experience and channels, will start her new position Jan. 1. Her spot will be filled Feb. 1 by Katie Adams, who joins Pandora after serving as vice president of marketing for Abercrombie & Fitch in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to a company spokesperson. Prior to that, Adams was senior global brand director at Unilever.
“The handover from Alexander to Berta has been exceptionally smooth,” Peter Ruzicka, chair of Pandora, said in a statement. “With Jennie Farmer stepping in as CMO, we are pleased to be able to conduct the leadership transition faster than planned. We look forward to the next era of growth under Berta’s leadership.”
As part of its growth initiatives, Pandora last month announced the opening of a new regional headquarters in Singapore to drive expansion in the region. The offices will serve as the jewelry brand’s focal point for expanding its reach in such key markets as Japan, South Korea and India.
The company also recently announced plans to open a new state-of-the-art distribution center in the first half of 2026 in Anne Arundel, Maryland. The facility will replace a smaller center in Columbia, Maryland, and increase capacity for fulfillment to the U.S. market by 80%.
Despite facing economic headwinds due to foreign exchange, commodities and tariffs, Pandora last month reported a Q3 revenue increase of over 2%.