De Beers Group
De Beers Group has announced changes to its Executive Committee:
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Chief Operating Officer Burger Greeff will retire at the end of this year after 32 years with the company.
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Kevin Smith, currently Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Strategy, will take over as Interim COO.
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Eirik Waerness, currently Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, will assume Smith’s previous role.
Burger Greeff joined De Beers Group in August 1993 as a Senior Research Officer at De Beers Consolidated Mines. Over the years, he has held several key leadership positions across various divisions, including Manager of Advanced Research, General Manager of De Beers Marine South Africa, and Executive Head of Technology and Sustainability.
Kevin Smith joined De Beers in 1996 and has since held various leadership roles across operations, technology, and commercial functions at both De Beers and its parent company, Anglo American. Most recently, he played a pivotal role in advancing the implementation of De Beers’ Origins strategy.
Eirik Waerness joined De Beers in September this year from Equinor, where he served as Chief Economist for 12 years and also held the position of Head of Strategy. At De Beers, his new, expanded role will cover global communications, government affairs, strategy and business development, and global markets and pricing analysis.
Kering Eyewear
French luxury group Kering has appointed Davide Righetto as Head of North America at its eyewear division, Kering Eyewear.
In his new role, Davide Righetto will oversee operations for all Kering Eyewear brands across the US and Canada. He will report directly to Roberto Vedovotto, President and CEO of Kering Eyewear.
Righetto previously served as Deputy Head of North America for Kering Eyewear. Over the past two years, he was responsible for overseeing and integrating the Maui Jim brand in the US market. Before that, he was Head of Asia-Pacific for Kering Eyewear.
Galeries Lafayette
French department store Galeries Lafayette has appointed Harold Israel to the newly created position of Director of Strategic Initiatives.
Israel’s role will be central to the group’s strategic direction, aimed at renewing its product and service offerings, enhancing global brand visibility, and driving omnichannel growth and innovation—key efforts to solidify the company’s position in an increasingly competitive luxury retail landscape. He will report to CEO Arthur Lemoine and join the company’s Executive Committee.
This new role was created to accelerate the development of strategic business areas, including scaling Galeries Lafayette’s private label business, advancing the operations of its proprietary e-commerce platform, and expanding the watches and jewelry category.
Harold Israel brings over 30 years of experience in retail, luxury, and fashion. Most recently, he was Global Vice President of Image, Communications, and Product at Berluti. He also previously served as the brand’s President for Japan. Earlier in his career, he worked at Cartier in the US and with the French family-owned brand Et Vous, before moving on to hold key leadership positions at A.P.C. and Marc Jacobs.
| Source: Official Press Releases
| Image Credit: Official Brand Channels, Personal Social Media Accounts
| Editor: LeZhi
