Allen is set to move to Denmark next month to take responsibility for Pandora’s newly created EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) that will cover all Pandora markets across Western Europe, Central Western Europe and Central Eastern Europe as well as Africa and the Middle East.
Under the restructure Allen will continue to be part of Pandora’s global management team and will join the recently established management board. All current presidents and heads of these territories will report to Allen who will also continue be responsible for Australia and New Zealand.
Allen’s rise in the company has been swift; he joined Pandora Australia and New Zealand as vice president of sales in 2011 and was appointed president in 2012 when Karin Adcock announced her departure from the local operation she established in 2004.
The 45-year-old Allen was chuffed about the new position telling Jeweller, “The role has been created to further increase our focus on developing the European markets and to strengthen cooperation and sharing of best practice with our teams, partners and ultimately our consumers.”
Prior to entering the jewellery industry, Allen had extensive experience in Australian retail, including having worked for Pretty Girl Fashion Group, Woolworths Ltd and Colorado Group.
He will relocate to Denmark with his wife and two children; his 19-year-old son will remain in Australia to complete his studies.
As part of the restructure, Brien Winther, current vice president of sales and business services in Australia and New Zealand, will take control as president of the Australian and New Zealand operation, and report to Allen. Though Allen did say that there would be little change on the home front.
“The Australian and New Zealand management teams are all specialists in their own fields who collaborate extremely well collectively and all of our strategic initiatives have been devised and set by the team together and it will be my role to support them as they continue to do this,” he explained.
In an internal announcement, Pandora international president and CEO Anders Colding Friis said, “David, Brien and the rest of the Australia team have done an incredible job in significantly developing our business in this region in profound respect of the Pandora values,” adding, “I am very pleased to be able to appoint someone for these two roles from within the team, which clearly demonstrates the level of great talent we have internally.”
All changes will be effective from 21 September 2015.
Pandora hot streak
The Australian arm of Pandora started from humble beginnings in 2004 when Karin and Brook Adcock began distributing the beads and charms from their home garage in Mona Vale, Sydney. By the end of the first year the company had only 40 accounts; however, growth became exponential with wholesale sales peaking at $187 million ($500+ million at retail) just five years later.
In more recent times, the brand has continued to outperform expectations. In May 2015, Pandora Australia reported a continued run of positive results, with revenue for the first quarter of 2015 marking two uninterrupted years of significant increases.
For the eighth consecutive quarter, the Australian and New Zealand division, under Allen, achieved an increase of more than 20 per cent for overall revenue and same-store sales for its brand-only – or ‘concept’ – stores.
The company increased its revenue guidance from DKK14 billion (AU$2.7 b) to more than DKK15 billion (AU$2.9 b) as a result at the time.
Pandora was listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in 2010 and more than 8,000 retail stockists in 90 countries now sell its products. In addition, there are 1,400 Pandora concept stores (company-owned and franchise) worldwide.
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