Joann Cheng is saying goodbye to her role as CEO of Lanvin Group.
Cheng, the group’s founding chairman and CEO, has decided to step down from her duties to pursue new ventures outside the group, the Chinese fashion group, which owns brands such as Lanvin, Wolford and Sergio Rossi, said on Friday.
The past six years at Lanvin have been some of the most fulfilling of her career, Cheng said. What began as an idea in 2017 is now a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a solid growth record and a portfolio of five ‘world-class’ brands.
“Following the successful launch of the first Lanvin Lab collection, the appointment of new CEO Sergio Rossi last week and the upcoming announcement of a new creative director at Lanvin, I am pleased to provide the group with a clear creative direction and all the ingredients for the next one growth phase,” Cheng said.
Succession is certain
While the post of creative director has been vacant since designer Bruno Sialelli said goodbye, the successor to the outgoing managing director has already been determined.
Huang Zhen was appointed as the new chairman and Eric Chan as the group’s CEO. Chairman-designate Zhen, is a director of Chinese investment conglomerate Fosun Group and currently serves as executive director and executive president of Fosun International, while Chan currently serves as co-chairman of the Greater Yuyuan Commercial Development Group. The new one has more than 30 years of experience across a wide commercial spectrum including omni-channel shopping platforms, luxury commercial real estate projects as well as offices and high-end hotels and resorts, the statement said. He has previously held senior positions at Secoo Group, K11 Concepts, Wharf Group, CB Richard Ellis, Hong Kong MTR Corporation and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
“I am delighted to join Lanvin Group at this exciting stage of its development,” said Chan. “We have great leaders across all of our brands, a clear creative direction for the coming years and an exciting customer engagement strategy that spans both digital and retail. We see great opportunities to expand our international presence.”