Shangri-La Group
Shangri-La Group has announced that Kuok Hui Kwong, daughter of the Group’s founder Robert Kuok, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer effective August 1. She has served as Executive Director of the Group since June 2016 and as Chairperson since January 2017.
Kuok Hui Kwong holds a degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard University. She previously served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of South China Morning Post Group, which was sold to Alibaba Group by the Kuok Group in 2016.
Under her current employment contract, the 47-year-old Kuok Hui Kwong receives a base monthly salary of HKD 576,000 [approximately USD 73,700], in addition to discretionary bonuses and retirement benefits. She also directly and indirectly holds 95.57 million shares in Shangri-La Group, representing approximately 2.7% of the company’s total shares.
Pronovias
Spanish high-end bridal fashion group Pronovias has appointed Cristina Alba Ochoa as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 21.
Cristina Alba Ochoa will also join the board of directors at Pronovias. She currently serves as a non-executive director at parent company Atitlan and at the doValue Group. Her career began at GE Money Bank in Spain.
She holds a dual degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and a Master’s degree in Finance and Banking from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona.
H&M Group
Swedish fast fashion giant H&M Group has announced the departure of Linda Leopold, Director of AI Strategy, after seven years with the company.
Linda Leopold joined H&M Group in 2018 and played a pivotal role in building the company’s Responsible AI Program from the ground up. She established its digital ethics framework and led the strategic implementation of generative AI technologies. In 2022, she was named one of the “Nine Inspirational Women Leaders in AI Shaping the 21st Century” by Forbes.
Prior to joining H&M Group, Linda Leopold served as Editor-in-Chief of Nordic fashion and culture magazine Bon, and later founded her own fashion-tech innovation consultancy.
Mango
Spanish fast fashion brand Mango recently announced several executive changes:
-
Former H&M CEO Helena Helmersson has joined the company’s board of directors as an independent board member.
-
Eva Gallego has been appointed Global Director of the Women’s Fashion division.
-
Elena Carasso, who served as Director of Digital and Customer Experience for 34 years, has recently left the company. She has been succeeded by Marlies Hersbach.
Helena Helmersson (pictured below) brings over 20 years of international experience in the fashion industry. She joined Swedish fast fashion giant H&M in 1997, holding multiple senior leadership positions, including CEO of H&M Group from 2020 to 2024. During her tenure, she oversaw sustainability, production, and global operations. She currently also sits on the boards of Swiss sportswear brand On and Swedish edtech company Quizrr.
With Helmersson’s appointment, Mango’s board of directors now includes Toni Ruiz (Chairman and CEO), Jonathan Andic (Vice Chairman), Daniel López, and Margarita Salvans (Executive Directors). Independent board members include Jordi Canals, Jorge Lucaya, Jordi Constans, Marc Puig, Manel Adell, and Helena Helmersson. Eugenia Jover serves as the board secretary in a non-director role.
Eva Gallego will officially assume her role in September and report to Chief Product Officer Luis Casacuberta. Her career began at Galeries Lafayette in Paris and spans numerous fashion and luxury companies. She has served as Production Director and Spain Factory Director at LVMH, Head of Leather Goods and Accessories Production Development, and later as Head of Ready-to-Wear, Accessories, and Licensing at LOEWE. Additionally, she has held the positions of General Manager of Women’s Footwear and Handbags at Inditex and Chief Product and Marketing Officer at jewelry brand TOUS. Most recently, she was Director of Accessories, Luxury, and Footwear Procurement at Spanish department store group El Corte Inglés.
Elena Carasso joined Mango in 1991 and helped build the brand’s entire e-commerce strategy and operations from the ground up starting in 2000. She also served as Director of Mango StartUp Studio, the company’s investment platform for startups.
Marriott International
Marriott International has announced that Leeny Oberg, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Head of Development, will retire on March 31, 2026, after 26 years with the company.
The group has named two long-time executives as her successors. Beginning January 1, 2026, Jen Mason will become Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, while Shawn Hill will take over as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer.
Pictured from left to right: Leeny Oberg, Jen Mason, Shawn Hill.
Leeny Oberg, 65, has served as the company’s CFO since 2016. In February 2023, she was also appointed to lead strategic growth for Marriott’s global portfolio. J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of Marriott International, stated: “Since Leeny Oberg took on the role of CFO, shareholder value has significantly increased, with stock performance far outpacing the S&P 500.”
Prior to this, Oberg was CFO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and made significant contributions to its performance, growth, and organizational efficiency. She first joined Marriott in 1999, holding several senior roles, including Senior Vice President of Corporate and Development Finance and Senior Vice President overseeing project financing and asset management in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Jen Mason, 55, joined Marriott in 1992 and currently serves as Global President of Finance and Risk Management. She previously held positions as CFO of the company’s largest division, U.S. and Canada, Senior Vice President of IT Business Partnership and Planning, and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Planning Support. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (Finance) from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Shawn Hill, 54, joined Marriott in 1997 and currently serves as Chief Development Officer for Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC). He previously worked at Marriott’s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, in accounting, finance, and asset management roles before relocating to Hong Kong in 2005 to join the APEC development team. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Oral Roberts University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Maryland.
Club Med
According to Bloomberg, Henri Giscard d’Estaing, Chairman of French resort brand Club Med, owned by China-based Fosun International, has been removed from his position.
Henri Giscard d’Estaing stated that Fosun International abruptly removed him from his post, a move that violated previously agreed procedures. In a letter to employees dated July 16, he wrote that Club Med “should go public independently, and its decision-making center must remain in France.” He added, “Despite my best efforts to convince them, Fosun refused and has in effect dismissed me.”
In a separate statement, Fosun International said that Club Med had launched a succession plan last year in cooperation with Henri Giscard d’Estaing and the board, and that the plan “is still ongoing.”
Henri Giscard d’Estaing joined Club Med in 1997 as Senior Vice President in charge of Finance, Development, and International Relations. He was appointed Chairman and CEO in December 2002. In 2017, he became a Global Partner of Fosun Group and served as Co-CEO, Vice Chairman, and Executive Director of Fosun Tourism Group.
Born in 1956, Henri Giscard d’Estaing graduated from Sciences Po Paris and holds a Master’s degree in Economics. He is the eldest son of former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. His career began at Cofremca, a French food company, where he worked as a managing partner from 1982 to 1987, focusing on food consumption trends. He later joined BSN Group (the predecessor of Danone), where he held roles including Development Director, CEO of UK subsidiary HP Foods Lea & Perrins, CEO of Evian Badoit, and CEO of the Mineral Water Division.
| Source: Official press releases, FashionNetwork, The Straits Times, Bloomberg
| Image Credit: Company websites, executive LinkedIn profiles
| Editor: LeZhi
