Krispy Kreme appoints new ANZ CEO
Irene Dong
Krispy Kreme ANZ has appointed Nicola Steele, who has been with the company since she was 19, as its new CEO, effective immediately.
Steele has worked with Krispy Kreme since 2006, rising through the ranks from crew member to store manager and area manager. She left university in 2011 and returned to Krispy Kreme as a state manager before progressing to senior leadership positions including national operations manager and head of retail & development, where she was instrumental in the brand’s expansion into Western Australia and New Zealand.
Steele increased Krispy Kreme’s ANZ retail footprint over the next eight years before being appointed to COO in March last year.
“My focus is to broaden the horizons of career pathways for our employees,” she said.
“I want to be able to offer all team members development and career opportunities that were afforded to me.”
With the new role, Steele is in charge of the brand’s expansion, including concentrating on regional growth, establishing convenience partnerships, as well as investing in e-commerce and digital platforms.
Starbucks China name new co-CEO and executive VP
Tong Van
Starbucks has appointed Molly Liu as the new executive VP and co-CEO of its China business, effective October 2.
In her new role, Liu will work alongside Belinda Wong, who will continue to serve as chairwoman and CEO of Starbucks China.
Joining the company in 2012, Liu has held several leadership positions, including VP of Digital Ventures. She has served as Starbucks China’s COO since 2021, overseeing the company’s expansion in the country. Liu was also behind the establishment of the company’s Starbucks Rewards program which has more than 20 million active members.
“Molly is a strong leader who has been instrumental in elevating the Starbucks Experience for our Chinese customers and driving industry-leading innovation for our China business,” said Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of Starbucks.
Starbucks China aims to reach 9000 stores across the country by 2025, creating more than 10,000 additional jobs annually.
The US coffee chain logged a 10 per cent increase in comparable store sales for its 13-week quarter to July 2 with China comparable store sales jumping 46 per cent.
L’Oreal China CEO named as part of executive changes
Aron Lewin
L’Oréal Group has made sweeping changes to its executive committee, headed by Vincent Boinay, who is succeeding Fabrice Megarbane as the CEO of L’Oreal China and President of the North Asia Zone.
Currently the general manager for travel retail worldwide, Boinay started as a marketing trainee for L’Oreal in 1992 and has served in his current role since 2014.
According to L’Oreal Group CEO Nicolas Hieronimus, he played a key role in transforming L’Oreal’s travel retail business and was a major contributor to L’Oréal’s growth.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Goulin – who is currently the general manager of L’Oréal Italy, will succeed Boinay as president of the travel retail division, and will also join the executive committee. He had reportedly overseen double-digit growth in L’Oreal Italy over a three-year period.
Following the succession, Fabrice Megarbane will become the chief global growth officer for L’Oréal Group, where he will be tasked with accelerating growth and leading the organisation’s transformation projects. He succeeds Frédéric Rozé, who is planning to retire after 38 years with the company.
L’Oréal has also introduced a new deputy CEO position which will be in charge of L’Oréal China, and will be filled by current general manager of L’Oreal Luxe Chine, Laurence Ma. Many of these changes are set to take effect in early 2024.
Sephora appoints new president of North America
Aron Lewin
Sephora has announced that Artemis Patrick will become the new President of North America, effective 2 October.
Patrick succeeds President Jean-André Rougeot, who plans to retire in April 2024. She will work with Rougeot and report to Guillaume Motte, president and CEO of Sephora’s global business, until that date.
From January 2024, she will lead the North American division, including stores, e-commerce, marketing, technology, and the supply chain, and will lead Sephora’s North America 2025-2027 strategic plan.
Patrick, who is currently the global chief merchandising officer and has been in the role since 2020, has worked for Sephora over a 17 year period, starting as director of e-commerce merchandising in 2006.
Meanwhile, Priya Venkatesh – who is the senior vice president of global merchandising – is set to become the global chief merchant on the same date, while global chief operations officer Alexis Rollier will become responsible for the Latin American region, on top of existing duties.
