Harvey Nichols has named Julia Goddard chief executive following the departure of Manju Malhotra — who held the post for 25 years — in late 2023. Goddard joins from Alexander McQueen where she spent 14 years, most recently leading expansion in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region as president.

Goddard will take a seat on the board and report to Sir Dickson Poon and Pearson Poon, chairman and vice chairman of the UK-based retailer.

The move comes at a challenging time for retailers, who are strained by the end of tax-free shopping in the UK as well as ongoing cost and inflationary pressures. The Harvey Nichols business is also undergoing a wider reorganisation. In March, the board announced job cuts impacting around 5 percent of employees could be coming as it looked to streamline operations and get on a path toward profitability.

Harvey Nichols has yet to publish results for FY 2023, which ended April 1, 2023. Revenue for the period was expected to rise 13 percent year-on-year to £216.6 million ($269.2 million), while loss was reduced by 30 percent, said the company in the March statement.

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Harvey Nichols CEO to Step Down

Harvey Nichols chief executive Manju Malhotra is stepping down at the end of the year.