Ewa Abrams Tapped as Kering Americas’ President

French luxury group Kering has named Ewa Abrams as president of its Americas division.

Abrams succeeds Laurent Claquin, the French executive who was named chief brand officer at the group level last month.

Abrams worked at Tiffany & Co. for 17 years before joining Kering Americas as general counsel in 2018. As president of Kering Americas, she will report directly to deputy CEO Jean-Marc Duplaix.

Kering’s Americas division is key to the group’s turnaround plans after sales surged in the region in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting the company to open new stores in emerging shopping hubs like Miami and Nashville.

The group, whose top brands include Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta, reported around €4.5 billion ($4.9 billion) in sales in the region last year, compared €3 billion in 2019.

Group revenues fell 10 percent in the first quarter, adding pressure to the group to accelerate its turnaround of flagship label Gucci after several years of stagnant sales.

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Can Kering Turn Things Around?

As the French luxury group attempts to get back on track, investors, former insiders and industry observers say the group needs a far more drastic overhaul than it has planned, reports Bloomberg.