The group posted a 3 per cent decline in revenue at the end of last year, and has been off to a slow start in 2019; its previous CEO, Anders Colding Friis, stepped down in August 2018.
Lacik joins Pandora after a short stint as CEO of Britax Childcare. He previously spent 12 years at UK personal goods manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser, concluding his tenure as its president of North American operations. In that role, he oversaw major growth in the company’s largest market, with revenue totalling US$3.5 billion.
“I am honoured and excited to join Pandora,” said Lacik in a press release. “I am encouraged by the current direction with a strong focus on brand re-ignition to restore growth.”
Describing himself as a “turnaround architect”, Lacik’s background has focused on marketing, sales and retail partnering. While he joins Pandora with no prior experience in the jewellery industry, Peder Tuborgh, Pandora’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, calls him a “strong match” for the company’s new strategic direction.
“Alexander is a brilliant marketer and brand architect and has throughout his career shown himself as a great leader and a highly effective executor. His skills and experience will be key to revitalising the Pandora brand,” Tuborgh added.
As previously reported in Jeweller, Pandora Australia has also undergone a change in leadership. Sunglass Hut Asia Pacific president Phil McNutt is set to take over as managing director from Mikael Kruse, who will helm Pandora’s Northern Europe operations.
More reading
Pandora moves to buyback jewellery from retailers for smelting
More changes at Pandora
Pandora: The beginning of the end
For Pandora, arrogance is a two-edged sword