Throughout its 127-year history, Swarovski has been a family-managed brand. Now the company has appointed its first CEO from outside the family — Alexis Nasard. Nasard takes over the role in early July.
Nasard’s recent roles include CEO of Kantar, a London-based data and analytics company, and before that, six years as CEO of Bata Group, a Swiss shoe company.
Until recently, Swarovski was governed by an executive board made up of founding family members who didn’t always play nicely. In 2020, the brand named a CEO — family member Robert Buchbauer — but the squabbling continued. Buchbauer stepped down and was replaced by an interim CEO that Nasard now replaces.
The company’s board of directors has also been expanded to include five non-family members alongside three family members.
“With the appointment of Swarovski’s first external CEO, we are taking an important further step in establishing a sustainable governance model,” said Luisa Delgado, chair of the board of directors, in a statement.
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