Esprit appoints Puma deputy chief to head new division

Esprit Holdings Ltd has appointed Melody Harris-Jensbach, the former deputy CEO and chief product officer of Puma AG, as its Chief Product and Design Officer in a bid to ensure brand consistency and product efficiency.

Harris-Jensbach will report directly to the Group CEO, Ronald van der Vis, and will overlook product development, design and licensing activities, the Europe-focused fashion group said in a statement on Monday. It said the appointment was effective immediately.

It marked the latest change to Esprit's management in a reshuffle that began in November with the announcement that it had appointed Holly Li, vice-president and general manager for northern China of Adidas AG, as the new chief executive of its China operations, effective in February.

Esprit, which competes with Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB and Spain's Inditex SA, had said in December that executive director and chief financial officer Chew Fook Aun had decided to resign on or before June 1 because he was unable to meet company requirements to make frequent trips to Europe, its dominant market.

Esprit, which depends on Europe for about 80 percent of its sales, is withdrawing from some underperforming markets and spending millions of dollars to revive its brand. It aimed to double sales in China to HK$6 billion over the next four years and expand its point-of-sales network to 1,900 from 1,000.

Esprit shares gained 0.78 percent on Monday, compared with a 1.47 per cent rise in the benchmark Hang Seng Index.