Angela Ahrendts, current head of Apple's (physical and online) stores and one of the strong candidates for CEO when Tim Cook passes the baton, was asked to occupy a chair at Ralph Lauren. Calm down, the traditional American brand is not interested in getting Ahrendts out of Apple.
In a press release, Ralph Lauren announced that it plans to add Ahrendts to the board of directors of the company in the election during the annual shareholders' meeting, scheduled for August 2018. Michael George (president and CEO of the Qurate Retail Group), in turn, has already been appointed as a director, bringing the number of members to 12 (13, if already count on Ahrendts).
Here is the statement by Ralph Lauren, executive president and creative director:
I am pleased to welcome Angela and Mike to the board of directors. Angela is an industry leader and an innovator, with deep knowledge in luxury retail and an excellent history of growing global brands. Mike brings invaluable experience as a senior leader and board member, helping companies drive consumer engagement and growth. Your advice will be incredibly valuable as we continue to build the future of our iconic brand.
It is worth noting that, before joining Apple, Ahrendts was CEO and board member of Burberry (from 2006 to 2014), leading the company during a period of excellent global growth. Previously, she was executive vice president of Liz Claiborne and, at the beginning of her career, she served as president of Donna Karan International, that is, a broad experience in the retail / fashion market.
Both Ahrendts and George will retain their current positions at Apple and Qurate. At Ralph Lauren, their involvement will be “limited” to attending some meetings to offer their advice in the same way that Cook does at Nike and Eddy Cue (senior vice president of software and internet services) does at Ferrari.
via 9to5Mac
