Espirit names new Group CEO

HONG KONG — Esprit Holdings Limited has appointed Jose Manuel Martínez Gutiérrez as its new Group CEO and executive director, effective on or before the end of September.



"We are delighted that Martínez, a professional with a wealth of experience in global retailing, has joined Esprit as our new group CEO, and the successor to Ronald Van Der Vis," said Raymond Or, non-executive chairman of Esprit. "Mr. Martínez has a track record of outstanding leadership that will be critical to executing Esprit's transformation plan. He is passionate about continuing the work to revitalize Esprit's brand, and brings with him a unique perspective built from within the fashion retailing business, and during his many years as a consultant to our industry."



Martínez has previously held various senior positions at Inditex, having most recently held the position of group director of distribution and operations where he executed a commercial distribution model and strategy that was a key factor in delivering consistent positive growth for the retailer over several consecutive seasons. Prior to this role, he was the country manager for the Zara brand across Scandinavia, where he had top and bottom line accountability. Before joining Inditex, Martínez spent eight years at McKinsey & Company where he led the firm's retail and consumer goods practice in Spain.