Superdry in board reshuffle as Silvana Bonello becomes new COO
Superdry has appointed Julian Dunkerton as CEO on a permanent basis, replacing his interim contract which had been due to expire in April next year.
The fashion firm is also bringing in Silvana Bonello as Chief Operating Officer.
Bonello will oversee end-to-end operations and planning processes, encompassing merchandising, logistics, IT, business transformation, sourcing processes and corporate strategy.
Her CV includes numerous senior operational and strategic roles in the US and the Netherlands with Nike (where she spent 18 years), and most recently as VP Operations for Vans EMEA (part of the VF Corporation).
She will relocate to the UK from Switzerland and take up her new post in March 2021.
Peter Williams, meanwhile, will step down as Chairman in 2021, once a successor is appointed.
“I joined as Chairman with a clear goal of ensuring a smooth transition following the change of management last year,” he comments.
“I am proud of the progress we are making to stabilise the business and reset the Superdry brand since last April.”
Back in the game
Having started the company in 2003 with James Holder, Dunkerton (pictured above) was Chief Executive until 2014 when he relinquished the position to Euan Sutherland.
He departed the board in 2018, due to a “fundamental disagreement” about design and expansion strategy. However, he returned last year and became interim boss. Dunkerton is also Superdry’s largest shareholder with a 20.3% stake.
He says: “Silvana’s appointment as COO is an important next step for the business.”
“With Silvana joining the executive team, we now have the right operational leadership to steer the business through these most uncertain times and drive the brand reset as we seek to inspire our customers with design-led, sustainable product and engage with them through our digital channels.”
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