A veteran of the shoe and sports apparel industry has been appointed to head up Pandora Jewelry.
Currently serving as managing director for the Deichmann Group, Björn Gulden is also president and chief executive officer (CEO) of retail chains Rack Room Shoes and Off Broadway Shoes in the United States.
“I am extremely excited about this opportunity and I look forward to working with the Pandora organization to realize the significant longterm value I see in this unique company,” Gulden said.
Gulden previously served as senior vice-president of apparel and accessories at Adidas, and was part of the management group that took the company public in 1995.
His appointment follows the resignation of Pandora’s previous CEO, Mikkel Vendelin Olesen, after revenue slid 30 per cent in the second quarter. Pandora chair Allan Leighton partly blamed the results on price increases. At the time, the company named Marcello Bottoli its interim CEO. He will continue in that role until Gulden officially takes over on March 1. Bottoli will then become deputy chair of the board, replacing Torben Ballegaard Sørensen, who will continue as a board member.
