Cath Kidston Group has appointed Melinda Paraie as chief executive. Melinda joins from John Hardy, a New York based jewellery company where she is chief merchandising officer and has worked for the past year.
Melinda, who is American and currently lives in New York, will move to London to be based in Cath Kidston’s headquarters. She will join on 18 June 2018 and work on a handover with outgoing CEO Kenny Wilson.
Melinda spent ten years of her career at Coach, the luxury American bags, footwear and accessories business, where she rose to become senior vice president for merchandising in North America. During her time at Coach she held various senior positions within the global merchandising and international direct-to-consumer and wholesale teams, living and working in New York, Shanghai and Tokyo during the period. She had previously worked at J.Crew in New York, Gap in San Francisco, Barneys New York, and Express.
Melinda Paraie said: “I am so delighted to be joining Cath Kidston. I believe the brand has a fantastic growth story. Cath Kidston has a wonderfully light-hearted charm and modern appeal, and its cheerful story resonates with existing and new customers. As an American, I love the uniquely British characteristics of the brand which has worked so well in international markets and I am ready to now enhance the emotional connection which the brand has with its customers. I really enjoyed working with the team in London last year and am very excited to be joining them next month.”
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