Lea Rytz Goldman Named Tommy Hilfiger Global Brand President
Updated 11:04 a.m. EST
Lea Rytz Goldman is stepping in as Tommy Hilfiger global brand president.
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And she is bringing with her 10 years of operational experience from Hennes & Mauritz, bolstering the ranks of the fast-fashion veterans taking top spots at parent company PVH Corp. under chief executive officer Stefan Larsson.
PVH is not looking to switch Tommy Hilfiger, or its other power brand Calvin Klein, over to a fast-fashion model, but is trying to tap into some of the operational expertise that has helped power that sector’s growth and apply it to its own, more premium brands.
When Rytz Goldman joins, by next spring, she will take over from Martijn Hagman, who has been CEO of Tommy Hilfiger global and been with the brand for 12 years. He will retain his role as CEO of PVH Europe.
Rytz Goldman, who will report to Larsson, got a big welcome from Tommy Hilfiger himself, who is the brand’s principal designer and founder.
“My dream has always been the same, to build the Tommy Hilfger brand into the most desirable American lifestyle brand in the world in a way that stays conscious of our roots with a clear and enthusiastic view to the future,” the designer said. “Lea’s leadership embodies this, combining a strong brand vision with disciplined execution to unleash brand power and drive sustained business success. This is something Lea has demonstrated time and time again in her career, and I am amazed at how she has stayed true to the core DNA of her brands, while always evolving for the future.”
Once Rytz Goldman is in place, the Tommy Hilfger business will be under one global brand leader who sets the vision and leads product creation and marketing while overseeing the consumer experience.
Rytz Goldman is currently the managing director at H&M’s Cos business, which she was credited for revitalizing. Before that she repositioned H&M’s Arket brand and spent more than 20 years at other brands in Europe.
Larsson — who came to PVH by way of Ralph Lauren Corp., Old Navy and, ultimately, H&M — said: “Lea is a unique brand and business builder with an outstanding track record of growing brands and driving sustained, brand-accretive growth globally. Tommy Hilfiger is one of the most iconic and beloved brands in the world and under Lea’s leadership, vision and drive, we will be well positioned to supercharge the global growth of the Tommy Hilfiger brand, which is a key part of the PVH+ Plan, our multiyear growth plan.”
Among the other fast-fashion experts brought in at PVH are Inditex vet Eva Serrano, who is Calvin Klein global brand president, and former H&M executive David Savman, who is executive vice president and chief supply chain officer.
But PVH has also drawn in executives with other backgrounds as it seeks to evolve its business model to be both quick and efficient with a decidedly upscale positioning. Donald Kohler joined as president, Calvin Klein Americas this year with a résumé that included stints at Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo and Diesel. And chief strategy officer Sara Bland joined up last year from Kontoor Brands Inc.
Larsson put it this way in an interview in August: “What we’re doing is we are taking Calvin and Tommy, which are these two uniquely global iconic brands, and our job is to consistently lean into the DNA of those brands and drive desirability. At the same time, we’re building an underlying business engine that enables us to drive those consumer-facing improvements in a more systematic and repeatable way.”
Soon Rytz Goldman will be joining in.
“Tommy Hilfiger is on a path of exciting growth, and I am eager to work with the Tommy Hilfiger and PVH teams to unlock the full potential of the brand,” she said. “Tommy Hilfiger’s rich history and core values deeply resonate with me, and I look forward to building upon its unique heritage as we evolve the brand for its next growth chapter.”
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